Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 183 (Color Image)

0183	Among the Celestials : vol.1

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CHAPTER VII.
THROUGH TURKESTAN TO YARKAND.

MY first inquiries on arrival were as to whether

Colonel Bell had arrived. I had reached Hami

some weeks later than the date on which, in

the Legation at Peking, we had fixed to meet

here, but still he had had a long round to travel,

and might have been late too. I was disap-

pointed to find that he had passed through

about three weeks before, and must now be

well on his way to India.

My next inquiries were as to the means of

reaching Kashgar, the principal town at the

western extremity of Turkestan, and the time

it would take to reach there. The result of

the inquiries was unsatisfactory. Difficulties,

of course, arose. It was the hot season, and

carters would not hire out their carts. In any

case it would take seventy days to reach there,

and this would bring us to the end of Sep-

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