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0369 Across Asia : vol.1
Across Asia : vol.1 / Page 369 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000221
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RECORDS OF THE JOURNEY

mountains. About 3 miles further we passed a smoky cave, I 1 /2 sq. metres in size, dug in a sand-hill. It marks the half-distance. A Sart had lived there for years, making a living by selling fruit to passers-by. — From here the ground rises slightly and the fall that was towards the N, is now S. We crossed a rise in the ground going N from Qizil tagh. We had a good view to the east from the crest, the oasis of Pichan, enveloped in green trees, showing up at a distance of about a dozen miles. The valley, a few dozen miles wide, with a gravel surface, lying between Karlik tagh and Qizil tagh formed a large triangle in front of us to the E. In the SE it is bounded by sand-hills tinged with yellow and light red, Kimtagh which succeed Qizil tagh, leaving an opening between themselves and the latter. In the N, i.e., to the E of us, the Qum tagh sand-hills are followed by a long chain of hills, between which and Karlik tagh, which disappears northward, there is a wide exit. In the SE on the mountains, apparently not far from the road from Sirkip to Pichan, there is something that resembles a ruin. My guide explained that it was a ruin like the one I had seen at Kotu Yoghan. 3 I/2 miles from the cave we completed the crossing of the ridge-like elevation and I /3 of a mile later we crossed the first of 4 dry water-channels going in a NW —SE direction. There is rarely water in them, I was told. I 1 /2 miles from there we came to the boundary of the Pichan area, tilled, but still very sandy, and 2 miles further on, after crossing a small river flowing in a valley 2100-30°, we entered the town. The distance covered to-day was about 16 miles. The road was good.

Pichan, surrounded by a neglected crenellated wall, 3 fathoms in height, with curved corners, covers an area of 1 /3 of a mile square. A Shenguan, subordinated to the mandarin in Turfan, resides in the town. Besides ordinary mortals he has the Wang of Lukchun under his supervision and protection. It is some time since this now humble prince was deprived entirely of all temporal power. He has neither the position of a judge nor even the right to levy taxes. The Bogdykhan has awarded him the highest rank in the Chinese hierarchy and allows him a pension of a few hundred tan of grain annually — and that is all. As he is a large landowner, however, he enjoys a certain importance apart from the splendour and prestige that his dignity gives him in the eyes of the faithful. The Chinese do not set much store by this, as is proved by the fact that a Shenguan who was dissatisfied with some arrangements made by the uncle and guardian of the prince, had him punished by whipping like an ordinary mortal. The present prince is in Peiping by order of the Bogdykhan.

The Shenguan's district consists of the following Shang-ja areas; I. Pichan with the surrounding villages. In the SW Shubeigo with 40 houses (4 Chinese); in the S Ehrgung 20 houses; in the ESE Hoshetun 6o houses; in the NE Tugung 3o houses; in the E Huihuikäi (bazaar with 3o shops) 107 houses; in the N Sankung 3o houses and in the NW Khovan 20 houses; altogether, including the town, 62o houses. In the town there are 37 shops, 1 pawnshop and 3 sarais (33 Dungan and 25 Chinese houses, the rest Sart), 4 cavalry men of the Chik-tam lianza. 17,000 tan of grain, 200,000 djin of hemp and 50,000 djin of cotton are produced annually in the oasis. The stock of cattle amounts to ab )ut 4 —5,000 head, including horses, horned cattle and sheep. II. Kandu with a couple of hundred houses (17 Chinese, 24 Dungan) covering an area of 20 li in length. There are 1 metchet and 1 miao

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