ected.

Nor were those special trades for which Kashgar had in prosperous
moments been renowned, neglected. The leather-dressers of Yarkand and
Aksu, the silk-mercers of Kashgar and Khoten, were never so busy as in
the warlike days of Keen-Lung, and the great mass of the people, the
agricultural class in the villages, was equally prosperous and well
governed. Trade was fostered on all sides, and the conquering power was
content to stand aside and witness the steady progress of its subjects
towards hitherto unattained and unattainable prosperity.

Lastly, the Chinese directed their attention to the improvement of the
means of communication between one part of the province and another. It
was absolutely necessary to the security of their rule that there should
be an easy and always open road between Ili and Kashgar. Therefore, a
way was cut, at great expense, through the Tian Shan, north of Aksu, and
this pass was known as the Muzart, or Glacier. So difficult was the
country through which it passed, and such the danger from ice-drifts and
snow-storms, that relays of men had to be kept constantly at work in
order to prevent it getting out of repair for a day. The construction of
this road was, in the first place, most expensive, but, perhaps, the
cost of repairing was much more. This, the most striking engineering
achievement of the Chinese, has become practically useless, through
fifteen years of neglect. If China is to regain Ili, it will, no doubt,
be restored. The passes west of this, by the Narym River to Vernoe, and
through Terek to Khokand, were those selected by Yakoob Beg to supply
its place.

The next object to which the Chinese specially paid attention was the
preservation of their road home to China. Thus the road in Tian Shan Pe
Lu, and the other in Tian Shan Nan Lu, were kept in the most effective
state possible. The former, north of the mountains, passed through Manas
and Urumtsi to Hamil; the latter, south of them, through Aksu and Kucha
to the same place. The alternative route from Kucha to Kashgar and
Yarkand, through Maralbashi, was also much used, more especially,
however, by those who desired to break off at that outpost in the desert
to reach Khoten and Sanju. In each city there was appointed a committee
to superintend the roads in the district, and this Road Board was a
highly important and useful corporation. It was by such measures as
these that the Chinese made their rule a blessing to Kashgar a