144 IN TIBET AND CHINESE TURKESTAN.
This part of the Yarkand River is called the Zarafshan (literally, " full of gold ") River, but the names of Raskam, Chiung (large), and Yarkand River are also employed. The name Zarafshan is doubtless given from the fact that gold is occasionally found on its banks, washed down in summer from the higher grounds.
On March 1st we re-entered Yarkand with our sick list increased. The cold, foggy, windy weather had put too severe a strain on Utam Singh, and he was laid up for a long time with fever.
It was with very great pleasure that I heard of the arrival of another European, Mr. George Macartney, the Special Assistant for Chinese Affairs to the Resident in Kashmir. The ordinary residence of this official is at Kashgar, but he pays an annual visit to Yarkand. We resolved to have quarters in. common, and, as my house at Kolkachi was too small for both of us, Macartney rented a much larger establishment, not far off, called Chini Bagh, to which I removed a sufficiency of my belongings. About a fortnight later we were joined by â very accomplished Roman Catholic Missionary', Father Hendriks, a Dutchman who, in the course of a long residence within the Chinese Empire, had become familiar with the languages and the customs of this part of the world. He was now stationed at Kashgar, where Mr. Macartney's influence and hospitality were employed in mitigating the hardships of his lot.
When the Forsyth Mission had visited Yarkand, quarters had been assigned to its members in the Yangi Shahr, and there Colonel Trotter had made his nocturnal observations. The spot where mine were now carried on was in the outer courtyard of Kolkachi, within a few yards of the door leading into the garden. I was desirous of determining the difference of the longitude of the two places, and, to do so, it was necessary that I should have
IIIF Color HighRes
