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0679 Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 / Page 679 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000213
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CHAPTER XCI

PREPARATIONS AT KHOTAN

From Yarkand a rapid journey brought me back to Khotan
by the 9th of June. It was done mainly by night marches
to avoid the worst heat, and made specially delectable by a
succession of sand-storms. On the way at Pialma I fell
in with Satip-aldi Beg, the hardy old head-man of the
Kirghiz on the upper Kara-kash River, and was able to
arrange with him all details about the transport I should
need in September for the journey across the Kara-koram
to Ladak.

At Khotan I settled down in the shelter of Nar-bagh,
my favourite old garden palace, not without some trouble
this time; for the chief Mullah who owned it had died
since my stay in 1906, and the large suburban residence
with its garden and annexes had been divided among a
number of inheritors. The airy central pavilion which
made such desirable summer quarters had fallen to the
lot of the head widow, a formidable old lady; and poor
Badruddin Khan, the Afghan Ak-sakal, and my devoted local
factotum, had to suffer grievous hurt from her sharp tongue
before he was allowed to dislodge the silkworm nursery the
dowager had thought fit to set up where once Niaz Hakim
Beg, Yakub Beg's famous governor, used to sit in state.
Old Akhun Beg was only too eager to offer hospitality
again; but his house, even if I had allowed him to vacate
it entirely, would not have afforded room for all the work
before me.

The many cases deposited in the spring were soon joined
from Kashgar by the cart-loads of antiques which Mr.
Macartney had taken care of since 1906-7. With them

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