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

fixed at right angles into the head of the long hand of the lever, and plays upon the rice in a
wooden mortar. The riwana may be built by anyone on a suitable stream by permission of
the district governor, and on payment of a fee to Government of sixty tanga (fourteen rupees
about) and this clears him of all further taxation on its operations. The miller's charge is
one chárak in fifteen of husked rice. The entire mechanism of the mill is in wood-work, and
the several parts are very neatly put together. We saw several of these mills at work on the
canals in the line of our march, and were impressed by the stride in civilization in advance of
what we had left behind us in Kashmir, where the laborious and by no means graceful opera-
tions of the pole pestle and mortar are a prominent feature in the scene peculiar to the banks
of the Bidasta.

Lucerne (Yúrúshca), green, and beda, dry.—Sown in August and September; sprouts in
March and April. Is cut three times in six months, and after each receives a top-dressing of
manure, and free irrigation, one sowing lasts three years, after which the roots decay. When
sown, the seed is mixed with an equal quantity of barley, otherwise the lucerne does not thrive.
It is extensively grown as a fodder crop, and is stored in bundles for winter use.

Millet (Joári).—Is grown in the southern districts, mostly at the same time as maize.
Grain and stalks used as winter fodder for cattle, and the meal as a bread stuff.

Cotton (kiwaz).—Largely cultivated in Khutan, Yarkand and Turfán, and exported east
and west in both the raw and manufactured state, and also extensively consumed for home use.
The seed is sown in April and May, flowers in July, and pods continue forming till the end of
October. They are gathered three times in the season, and after the last gathering the stalks
are cut away close to the ground. The plant does not grow higher than two to three feet, and
bears much more fruit than foliage. Fresh seed is sown every year. Two chárak=forty pounds
of seed are allowed to each tanáb of land=560 yards square, and yield eight tártam=twenty
pounds of cotton, and twenty-four tártam=sixty pounds of seed. The Government tax is five
tanga=about one rupee on each tanáb, or less according to quality and selling price. The seed
is separated from the cotton by an ingenious roller gin, worked by pedal and eccentric wheel;
it is called chighric. The seeds are pressed for oil, and the cake given to fatten cattle. The
cotton is considered of excellent quality, and is in great demand for the Khokand and Tash-
kand markets.

Flax (Zighir).—Extensively cultivated for its seed in all the western divisions. The seed
is the chief source of the oil used in the country, and the cake is given to stall-fed cattle.
The oil-mill or press is worked by horses or oxen, and is similar to that used in the Punjab.
The seed is sown in April and May, and the crop is cut in October.

Indian hemp (Kandir).—Grown largely in the Yarkand division. The resin is collected in
October and packed in bags of raw hide for export, principally to India; and hemp is prepared
from the stalks, but it is a very coarse fibre and only used for twisting into rope by the peasantry.
The resin packed for exportation is usually pounded up with a varying proportion of the green
leaves, and the adulteration is carried to such an extent that in the Yarkand bazar the drug
sells at only twelve or twelve and a half jing to the chárak, instead of sixteen which is the
proper measure. That is to say, a fourth part or thereabouts is struck out of the calculation for
payment. For example, the selling price of chars (the resin) is from thirty to fifty tanga the
chárak of sixteen jing; the seller, who is the producer too, weighs out sixteen jing and takes
payment for only twelve, receiving twenty-two and a half and a half tanga instead
of thirty to fifty. There are different qualities of the drug according to the manner and period
of its collection, and they are carefully scrutinized by connoisseurs. The Government tax on
the drug is two tanga (eight annas nearly) per chárak. Hemp resin is very generally consumed
by all classes, and in the cities it is abused to excess with very injurious effects upon the health
of the people. It is generally called bang, and is smoked mixed with tobacco, or eaten in the
form of a confection. The confection is thus prepared:—to ten tolas of bang add ten pints of
water, and boil; then remove from the fire, and on cooling, strain through muslin. To the
strained liquor add five tolas of mutton fat, and boil again till the suet is melted; then remove
from the fire and pour in cold water till the fat cakes with the bang and subsides and clear
liquor only remains. Pour this off, and to the fat add saffron one mithcál, zedoary one mithcál,
and cinnamon one tola, all finely powdered, and honey, ten tolas, and thoroughly mix together.