National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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About twelve miles to the south of this shrine, near that of Hazrat Begum on the desert

are the indistinctly traceable fortifications of a castellated city now called Shahri Nuktâ Rashid. It is more or less completely buried under sand, but the mound tops are wind swept, and

strewed thickly with bits of pottery, China, and glass ; coins too are said to be found here, and

Sir Douglas Forsyth got one of them from the keeper of the neighbouring shrine. In the opposite direction, to the west of the present town, are the ruins of another city, apparently

very ancient and strongly fortified by high battlemented mounds the substantial walls of which are in parts still fairly traceable. As an instance illustrative of the dry character of the climate here, I may mention that we found sheets of matting, such as are used at the present day in the foundations of walls, still in excellent preservation under the layers of raw bricks composing the structure of the battlements ; although, as we were assured and as history tends to prove, the place has been in ruins for eight hundred years. The original name of this city is lost, and it is now known simply by the name Tam = " Wall," and the people know no more of its history than that it formerly belonged to the Kingdom of Nuktâ Rashid, the Kafir, and was destroyed by Ali Arslân Khan, the Ghâzi Further north than Tam, near Chârshamba Bâzâr, are the ruins of Oktd or Oktay. They are described as built of stone, and as being more substantial and more extensive than any others in the division. This is probably that Ota through which in early ages passed the caravan road from Kashghar over the Bolor range and through Karâtakin to Balkh for the "Etas west and south by the Oxus and Bamian respectively. The other great trade route was from Kâshghar over the Tirik pass to fish or Osh and on along the Jaxartes. It is still in use as the caravan road to Orenburgh. The first has been long since abandoned as a trade route.

Yângi Hissâr=" Newcastle," as the name and etymology indicate, dates only from the Muhammadan conquest ; but from its appearance and the remains of walls in the vicinity it would seem to occupy the site of some more ancient city.

Every street has its bang shop, generally a mean little shed, in which two or three pipes are at the disposal of the passers by. There are besides, several opium divans, places more like a pawnbroker's shop than anything else. Obscure chambers, dimly lighted by a row of flickering lamps along the floor, on which lie the somnolent devotees of this " thief of reason and riches." On shelves ranged round the walls are neatly folded and labelled bundles of their household chattels even to the clothes off their backs, all kept in pawn till released by cash payment. We shall return to this subject under the head of agricultural products. Suffice it here to say that the abuse of these deleterious drugs is prevalent throughout the country. I have thus referred to it in this place, because I observed that the people of Yângi Hissâr were more generally addicted to these forms of intoxication than those of Yarkand or Kâshghar; a point in which they do not belie the character given them by common report.

Kâshghar.—This State is situated in the angle of junction between the great mountain ranges of Alâ.tâgh and 1olortâgh, and for purposes of government includes the steppes of Pâmir and the glens of Sârigh Kû1. But these last, being beyond its proper limits, are excluded from the present reckoning, and will be described separately hereafter.

Its limits are : On the north—Balauti Hill which separates it from the canton of fish Turfân ; Tirikti Fort and Tâsh Rabâ.t on Alâtâgh which separate it from the Kirghiz of Isigh Kol; Chakmâk Fort and Karl Aylâ.k of Atbâshi which separate it from the Russian outpost on the Nârin ; and the Aktâgh range which separates it from fizkand in Andijân ; Mingyol outpost at foot of the range. On the west—Tirik Dawn which separates it from fish in Andijân;

and Karâtâgh and the hills down to Chishtâgh   Tooth Hill," north of the Chachiklik Pass,
which form the eastern border of the Ally Pamir. On the south—the Khan Arik canal (from Yamânyâr branch of Kosân River), Tazghûn and Yapchang. , On the west—the desert from Fyzâbâd to Kol Tâylâk and Sûghûn.

Within these limits the population is estimated at 16,000 houses, or at seven per house, at 112,000 souls. Of these 5,000 houses are allotted to the city and its immediate suburbs, and the remainder are thus distributed amongst a number of considerable market towns and agricultural settlements. Along the hill skirt to the west—Opal 800 houses, Tâshmalik 700, and Mûshi 400. Along the hills to the north—Mingyol 200 houses, Sarman 300, Artosh 2,000,