472 ISLAM AKHUN AND HIS FORGERIES [CHAP. XXXI.
literary relics in " unknown characters " was practically complete, and my departure near at hand, I was anxious for a personal examination of that enterprising individual whose productions had engaged so much learned attention in Europe.
Pan-Darin, to whom I confidentially communicated my wish to get hold of Islam Akhun, readily granted his assistance. As an attempt on the part of Islam Akhun to abscond was by no means improbable, and as time was getting short, I took care to impress the learned Mandarin with the necessity of prompt and discreet action. Nor did he disappoint me in these respects ; for on
the morning of April 25th Islam Akhun was duly produced from Chira, where he had been practising as a ' Hakim ' during the last winter. He scarcely anticipated being " wanted " now, as when passing through Chira some three weeks before I had purposely refrained from making any inquiries about him.
The Beg who escorted him brought also a motley collection of papers which had been seized partly in Islam Akhun's possession and partly in his Khotan house, and which on examination proved rather curious. They were sheets of artificially discoloured paper, covered with impressions of the same elaborate formulas in " unknown characters " that appeared in the last batch of " ancient block-prints " which had been sold in Kashgar. A manuscript leaf, also in " unknown characters," had evidently remained over from the earlier manufacture when the forger was still content to work by mere writing.
Two large sheets of a Swedish newspaper, the Svenska Morgon-
IIIF Color HighRes
