Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 215 (Color Image)

0215	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. vII.] THE SYRT COUNTRY.

regularly in the Kirghiz preserves. These

nomads are not cultivators, as a rule, but we

passed a few patches of cultivation, and what

was very remarkable was that this cultivation

was very often generally indeed in this valley

of poppies. On inquiry, I found that, though

the Kirghiz do not smoke opium themselves,

they find poppies a most paying crop to grow,

and can sell the produce much more profitably

than that of any other crop.

Two days later we arrived in what is known

as the Syrt country. There was no particular

road here, but merely the tracks of animals

leading in many directions. We had brought

a Kirghiz with us to show the way, but this

he now refused to do, and eventually he left

us stranded in the midst of a series of bare,

low hills and sterile plains, without apparently

any water, any inhabitants, or any special road.

We knew, too, that what people we should

meet had not a good reputation, and were said

to rob and even murder travellers, and matters

looked unpleasant. We pushed on, however,

in the general direction of K ashgar, and

towards evening, after a very hard march,

reached an encampment of six tents. The

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