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gardens, and orchards, and timber trees. At five hundred yards or so to the west of it stands the Chinese fort or Mciny$kmn, which is called Yangishahr or " New City" in distinction to the Kuhna shahr or " Old City." It is a strong square fort surrounded by a deep ditch, and entered over a drawbridge by a single gate which faces the Kawughat Gate of the city on the east. Between these two gates is a street of cook shops behind which are the cattle market and gallows on one. side, and the horse market on the other. In the time of the Chinese it is said to have been a lively scene of activity and trade, but, as we found it, full three-fourths of the space were in ruins, and the rest a miserable collection of cook shops and grocers' stalls almost as dilapidated as the ruins themselves. The Yangishahr is the residence of the Governor of the State with his staff of officials and troops. Under the Chinese he was called Khan Ambân and now he is called S4aglIc wul Dcidkhwcila. He lives in a spacious orda or " palace," which is shut off from the rest of • the area by high walls, and is surrounded by the barracks and artillery gunsheds of the garrison. In the Yangishahr are also several commodious residencies for the higher officers of government or for foreign visitors and guests. One of these had been fitted up for the reception of the Embassy. It is in the centre of the fort area, and though closely crowded by other buildings was comfortably furnished for our special benefit, and we were allowed free liberty of ingress and egress. The garrison is said to number 1,800 men, who live with their families in the fort ; but fully half the number are generally absent on detachment duty in the district, or in the frontier outposts, though their families remain behind. According to the Chinese revenue returns the population of the Yarkand State is estimated at 32,000 houses spread all over its area. This at seven persons per house will give the total population of the State as 224,000 souls. The limits of the State are, along the south frontier, Sâ.nj.I to Shahidulla, Kilyan to Yangi Dawan, Kokyar to Kulâniildi, and Kosharab to the Mûztâgh of Kunjut. Along the west frontier are the highland district of Sitrigh Kiil and the Kirghiz steppes of Pamir and May ; but these are beyond the present reckoning which only includes the country up to the foot of the hills, from Yakka Arik to Chaechiftlik or Chachiklik pass; north of this line the country is a desert waste. The north border of the State is a blank arid desert on which the boundary is marked by a small post house, where are two wells of brackish water 98 feet down. It is called Ak Rabat or " White Stage" and separates Yarkand territory from that of Yangi Hissar. The east border also is desert, and is marked by a line from Giima on the south by Mihnat Ortang on the east to Shamâ.l on the north. In this area the settlements of Gûma, Sanjn, Kilyan, Kokyar, Kosharab, and Yakka Arik are the limits of cultivation ; all beyond—and a good deal within —is sterile desert or mountain skirt. The above reckoned population is thus distributed.
Yarkand city, 5,000 houses, inclusive of mosques, colleges and saraes; and the immediate suburbs, including Yangishahr, 5,000 houses. Total 10,000 houses. The rural settlements of Sanji12,000, Kilyan 800, Kokyar 800, Yakka Arik 700, Karghalik 2,000, Besharik 1,800, Posgam 1,600, Borya 600, Giima 3,000, Kosharab 500, Orpa 1,000, Tagharchi 200, Otûnchilik 2,000, Mirshah 500, Islambagh 500, Rabatchi 600, Tonguzlik 300, Aramang 100, and all other minor settlements 3,000. Total 32,000 houses. These figures are only approximate, and, from personal observation in respect to several of the most populous settlements, may I believe be taken as fairly correet.
The city itself having a circuit of four miles outside the walls may be considered as covering an area of 3,097,600 square yards. If we deduct one-fifth for fortifications, streets, courts, bazars, and tanks, of which last the number is said to be 120, we shall have 2,478,080 square yards left for the houses. And this, if we take 25 by 20 yards as the average measurement, will give the number at 4,956 or about 5,000 houses, which at seven persons per house represents a population of 35,000 souls. The calculation is certainly fully up to the mark, and I believe much above the actual fact, for compared with Peshawar, which has a population of something under 60,000 souls, Yarkand is an insignificant city. I don't think its population much exceeds 20,000 souls at the present time.
The citizens are mostly Turk with Tartar and Chinese converts and half breeds, and they have amongst them a large number of foreign settlers who are reckoned at two thousand
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