492 FROM KHOTAN TO LONDON [CHAP. XXXIII.
busy with the " demobilisation " of my old caravan. The camels and ponies, which had served us so well during the journeys of the preceding eight months, could not be taken any further, and as a not. insignificant portion of the grant allotted for the expenses of my journey was invested in the animals, their satisfactory disposal was a matter of some concern. After a good deal of bargaining, which, in view of the trade customs of the Turkestan ` Kirakash,' or carriers, could scarcely be wondered at, I succeeded in this quasi-commercial task far better than I had ventured to hope at one time. The ponies sold practically without any loss, while in the case of our eight camels I realised not less than three-fourths of the purchase price. If I could have afforded the time to await the proper season of caravan traffic northward into Russian territory, I should probably have recovered for Government the whole of the original outlay on my Turkestan transport. That, after all the hard marching and exposure. of our winter campaign in the desert the whole of the transport had been safely brought back, in a condition which allowed of its sale with such small loss, may justly be claimed as a proof of the. care we had taken of our animals.
The arrangements for my onward journey were greatly facilitated by the kind help of M. Petrovsky, Imperial Consul-General of Russia at Kashgar, whose acquaintance I was fortunate enough to make on this occasion. During a long official career in Turkestan M. Petrovsky has devoted a great deal of scholarly zeal to the study of the history and antiquities of the country, as I had ample occasion to note in the course of the instructive interviews with which I was favoured within the Russian Consulate. He now did all in his power to ensure the safe transit of my archœological finds to England, and to secure for me the friendly assistance of the authorities in Russian Turkestan. For the help thus accorded I may be allowed to express here my grateful acknowledgments.
During my stay at Kashgar I had repeated occasions to meet again Huang-Kuang-ta, the kindly old Tao-tai, and to assure him of my gratitude for the most effective co-operation which I had received from the Chinese officials wherever my explorations took
IIIF Color HighRes
