Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 242 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

0242	Among the Celestials : vol.1

202 AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. VIII.

Yarkand side, to have three weeks' supplies for

men and ponies ready there, and these supplies

for the men included rice, ghi (clarified butter),

tea, sugar, and some sheep to drive along with

us, so that the men should be fit and work

willingly ; for, after all, the success of the

enterprise would depend upon them, not upon

me, and all I could do was to see that nothing

which foresight could provide for should be left

undone before the start was made. Lastly, we

took some good strong ropes and a pickaxe or

two, to help us over the ice and bad ground.

All these preparations having been com-

pleted, we left Yarkand on September 8. The

next day we reached the thriving little town of

Kargalik. I t was market day, and all the

roads were crowded with country people

coming in to sell their produce, and buy any

necessaries for the week. I have not men-

tioned these market days before, but they are

a regular institution in Turkestan. Each town

and village fixes a day in the week for its

market day, and on that day the bazaars are

crowded with people, and it is then that the

country people do all their business. In small

places the bazaar is absolutely empty all the

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