ules and three ponies. With the crossing of the
Grim Pass, the difficulties of nature disappeared, and henceforth the
course of the mission lay in the more sheltered plains of Kashgaria.

After leaving Sanju, the country had, for some days' journey, an
appearance of barrenness, that was only relieved by the avidity with
which patches of more promising soil had been cultivated, a fact which
testified alike to the beneficence of the ruler and to the assiduity of
his people. There is good reason for believing that in the Yarkand and
Khoten districts, Yakoob Beg's administration was most successful. This
may have been caused by the superior qualities of the people over the
Tungani, and mixed populations farther east; but it must also be
attributed to the absence of those desolating wars which went on without
any long intervals down to the year 1874, in the country held by the
Tungani. The treachery of Yakoob Beg in murdering the Khan Habitulla of
Khoten had aroused suspicions as to his good faith that only lay dormant
during the days of his power; but the people of Khoten, Sanju,
Karghalik, and Kilia were far too thrifty and too prudent to sit down
supinely and dwell upon their wrongs. They neither forgot nor forgave,
but they suppressed all trace of seditious opinions against the new
ruler.

The next city which Mr. Forsyth reached, Karghalik, showed still further
signs of prosperity and civilization. "An eating-house, with its clean
table, and forms, and piles of china plates and bowls, at once took us
back across the seas to the recollection of many a country restaurant in
France." Special preparations had in every way been made for the
reception of the representatives of England, and Mr. Forsyth expressed
his surprise at finding fire-places, like our own, ventilators, and rich
carpets from Khoten, famous in days of yore for its manufacture of those
articles, in the quarters that had been set apart as his residence.
Similar preparations had been made at every stopping place, and the
people not less than the sovereign did their best, and spared no
exertion, to make the stay of the Feringhees as pleasant as possible for
them. More than that, even at the resting places during the daily march,
the headman or local magnate, without exception, always entertained them
at a "dastarkhwan," that is to say, at a course of refreshments. The
"dastarkhwan" literally means table-cloth, and consists of any number of
distinct dishes, som