or Bokhara,
was a matter of difficulty to be obtained, and only in the most
exceptional cases was it granted. But it appears that there were some
evasions of this regulation by a simulation of religious zeal, for the
Sheikh-ul-Islam had it in his power to grant permits to leave the
country on pilgrimages to Bokhara the "holy," or to Mecca. In themselves
the passports were simple in phraseology. They merely stated the name
and address of the traveller, the nature of his business, and his
destination. Having obtained the consent of the Dadkwah, and the
authority of the Kazi, no difficulty was experienced in procuring the
necessary slip of paper. Infractions of this permission, by too long an
absence, or by proceeding in some forbidden direction, were visited on a
first offence with a fine. On a repetition of it, however, the
punishment became more severe. It would be interesting to know how these
protectors of the public peace were paid, and by what means. But on this
point there is little trustworthy information. We, however, know of one
tax which was devoted to the support of the urban police, but of the
funds from which the suburban were remunerated, we have no authority for
any assertion. A weekly tax was levied from all the shop and booth
owners, to go towards the payment of their protectors; but it is not
supposed that this amounted to a sufficient sum to maintain the large
force in the more important cities. The difference was probably paid out
of the state coffers under the head of justice. Judging from this we
cannot be far wrong in assuming that a similar tax was levied on the
farmers and country residents for the support of the suburban police;
and as the secret police required less outlay in the country than in the
cities, it is possible that that tax more nearly defrayed the total
cost, than it did in Yarkand or Kashgar. The police supervision and the
military terrorism, freely resorted to on all occasions offering an
excuse for such an extreme measure, have not been without their effect
in leaving traces of their existence and influence in the daily life of
the Kashgari, and on the countenances and sentiments of the subject
peoples. Where formerly lived a light-hearted and happy race there now
seemed as if a never-to-be-removed gloom had settled down on the face of
the land, and neither the assurance of security nor the irregular
encouragement of the ruler to commerce could remove the blight that had
fallen u