SEQUEL OF MY DESERT JOURNEY 935 
for his new sphere of labour the same day I quitted 
Khotan. 
We had a thoroughly pleasant time of it in Khotan. 
At the command of Liu Darin, the wealthiest man in 
the place, Alim Akhun, placed his fine summer residence 
at my disposal ; and everything was ready for me when 
I arrived on the 27th May. I was led through a gate, 
then across two or three courtyards, and finally into a 
large garden surrounded by a high square wall. A 
pavement of stone slabs led to a rectangular brick house, 
standing on a stone terrace in the middle of the garden. 
The interior contained only one large apartment, M'ith 
fifteen windows, the wooden gratings of which opened 
like jalousies. The terrace was surrounded by a moat, 
filled with water and crossed by four small bridges. The 
house had been built for Yakub Beg, the famous ruler 
of Ka.shgar, and was surrounded by willows so full of 
leaf and so closely planted, that not a ray of sumshine 
was able to pierce through to banish the cool, delicious 
shade. The temperature in the open rose to ioo°4 Fahr. 
(38° C.) ; under the trees it was eighteen degrees Fahr. 
lower. The water rippled along the moat ; the wind 
whispered in the tops of the trees. Although storms of 
dust were prevalent at that season, none invaded the 
peace of the garden. 
The house had only one door. A wooden platform 
about a yard high ran all round the other three sides, 
leaving the middle of the stone floor free. I furnished 
the platform with packing-cases and carpets, and in one 
corner set up my bed. There I sat cross-legged, with 
a box for a table, and w'orked until far on in the night. 
The place was not unlike a student’s room, except that 
the large c^uantity of travelling paraphernalia gave it an 
unusually picturesque appearance. 
The kitchen was situated in a little clay house near 
the entrance -gate to the garden, and to secure me in 
some degree from interruption, Islam Bai rigged up a 
temporary bell betw'cen the two houses. I only had 
two meals a day. Islam came and announced, “Ask 
