DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31772#0158
106
TRAVELS IN TURKISTAN.
upon tlie leaders so forcibly the necessity of continuing witli our
party as long as lie clid, tliat we liad no furtber trouble wit.h
thein. It was very difierent witli the natives of India who
accompanied us throughout t.hat trying journey. They bore
the intense cold and hard work with remarkable endurance ancl
courage.
We followed the Yangi-Hissar tributary stream by a fair
road up to the Kaskasu pass (12,850 feet), which we crossed on
the fourth clay. Snow and ice made tlie crossing of it (which
is otlierwise easy) extremely difficult. Our baggage ponies
managed to clamber laboriously up the icy ascent, but the deep
fresli snow at t.he descent necessitatecl tlieir relief by yaks,
which were furnishecl by the friendly Kirghiz. Our party was
joinecl here by ITyat Muhammad, a Kirghiz Yuzbaslii, in mili-
tary command of tiie Kirghiz in tlie Sirikol district, and in
clirect charge of the roads leacling to Yarkand ancl Yangi-Hissar.
He professed t.o be a true Kirghiz, but from his regular features
and full bearcl, great height and muscular appearance, was very
unlike one of that people. He more resemblecl tlie Kipclia.ks,
who forrn the link between the nomacl ancl non-nomad inhabit-
ants of Turkistan. Hayat Muhammad gave much valuabie
information, whicli we hacl afterwards many opportunities of
testing and confirming, by inquiring from Sirikolis, Wakhis,
and Kirghiz. He accompanied us to Tashkurgan, and again
joined us there on the return journey.
For about thirty miles from the plains on the road to Sirikol
the hills are bold and precipitous, rising abruptly from the
valleys. Poplar and willow trees, and grass, grow by the
streams, but the hill-sicles are almost wholly clevoid of vegeta-
t.ion. Beyoncl that distance the liills become sloping and
TRAVELS IN TURKISTAN.
upon tlie leaders so forcibly the necessity of continuing witli our
party as long as lie clid, tliat we liad no furtber trouble wit.h
thein. It was very difierent witli the natives of India who
accompanied us throughout t.hat trying journey. They bore
the intense cold and hard work with remarkable endurance ancl
courage.
We followed the Yangi-Hissar tributary stream by a fair
road up to the Kaskasu pass (12,850 feet), which we crossed on
the fourth clay. Snow and ice made tlie crossing of it (which
is otlierwise easy) extremely difficult. Our baggage ponies
managed to clamber laboriously up the icy ascent, but the deep
fresli snow at t.he descent necessitatecl tlieir relief by yaks,
which were furnishecl by the friendly Kirghiz. Our party was
joinecl here by ITyat Muhammad, a Kirghiz Yuzbaslii, in mili-
tary command of tiie Kirghiz in tlie Sirikol district, and in
clirect charge of the roads leacling to Yarkand ancl Yangi-Hissar.
He professed t.o be a true Kirghiz, but from his regular features
and full bearcl, great height and muscular appearance, was very
unlike one of that people. He more resemblecl tlie Kipclia.ks,
who forrn the link between the nomacl ancl non-nomad inhabit-
ants of Turkistan. Hayat Muhammad gave much valuabie
information, whicli we hacl afterwards many opportunities of
testing and confirming, by inquiring from Sirikolis, Wakhis,
and Kirghiz. He accompanied us to Tashkurgan, and again
joined us there on the return journey.
For about thirty miles from the plains on the road to Sirikol
the hills are bold and precipitous, rising abruptly from the
valleys. Poplar and willow trees, and grass, grow by the
streams, but the hill-sicles are almost wholly clevoid of vegeta-
t.ion. Beyoncl that distance the liills become sloping and