CHAPTER LIX. 
ALONGSIDE THE DESERT TO KHOTAN 
I LEFT Kargalik the next day; and the amban’s 
courtesy went the length of sending a beg to act 
as my escort, and relieve me of all trouble during the 
journey. The town possessed five gates, the same number 
as Yarkand ; and as we passed out of the eastern gate, 
the cannon again boomed forth a farewell salute. It did 
not take us long to get past the last village and reach the 
sterile plains. Hitherto the road had been plainly marked 
like a bright strip through the fields ; henceforward there 
was no road. The track of each caravan is blotted out by 
the next storm that comes. The Chinese have therefore 
erected guide-posts all along that part of the route which 
crosses the desert. They stand at intervals of about a 
hundred yards, so that you can generally see six or seven 
at any one time. Whilst a sand-buran is blowing they are 
of little use; but directly the storm has ceased, they render 
excellent service, indeed they are then indispensable. It 
is said that some travellers, who have been so unfortunate 
as to miss their way, have never been heard of again. 
The custom of erecting these poles reminded me of Marco 
Polo’s words — “And at sleeping-time a signal is put up 
to show the direction of the next march.” 
The road ran over a flat, barren plain all the way 
from the oasis of Besh-arik (the Five Canals) to the 
caravanserai of Kosh-lengher (Two Stations). The serai 
and willows of the latter place were visible a long way 
off ; and in consequence of a mirage appeared to be 
lifted up a little above the dark line of the horizon. The 
serai was a first-class building, erected in the beginning 
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