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The majority of the inhabitants move with their flocks and herds in summer to grazing grounds on the heights in their neighbourhood. A few people remain in each village to attend to the growing crops, which are harvested on the return from the summer pasture lands. The flocks and herds consist of sheep and goats, cattle and yaks. The horses of the country are small, hardy, and well bred. Wheat, huskless barley, beans and peas, are the principal crops in Wakhan. Melons and apricots ripen at Zong, near Kila Panja. The climate of the Sarhadd district, for thirty-five miles down from the first village at the head of the valley, is too cold for wheat. The only timber grown is the white poplar, and that, by reason of the violent winds of the country, requires a sheltered position. Stunted red willow and other hardy bush woods are plentiful in the sandy stretches along the river banks. There appears to be no mineral wealth in Wakhan. Salt of a very inferior quality and iron are procured from Badakhshan. We found great difficulty in getting horse-shoes or iron to make them, and it was only by working up some iron tent-pegs, a ploughshare, and a cooking pot, that we were able to complete the number required for our return journey over the Great Pamir.

The present trade between Eastern and Western Turkistan is small. It consists chiefly of "churrus" (intoxicating drug) and cotton cloth of Khoten and Yarkand manufacture from the former, and of horses, indigo, kincob, and sundries from the latter. The indigo and kincob are obtained from India. The Mir of Wakhan levies transit-dues at a uniform rate of one Muhammad-shahi rupee (equal to about two shillings and fourpence) per horse load, irrespective of value. No dues are levied for Kashghar at Sirikol, this being done on the goods reaching their destination. The Badakhshan currency is the coin of Wakhan, but there is very little of it in the country, and almost all trade transactions are effected by barter. We found the Mir at the time of our arrival in great straits for the means to satisfy a merciless creditor, who had come from Badakhshan to press a claim for a sum equivalent to about £45. Payment in the form of the precious metals was wanted, and we were in need of provisions to a considerable extent daily, as well as a stock for our farther journey, and the use of a large number of horses to carry it; so in return for all, our gold was given at this opportune time to relieve Wakhan of its state debt.

WAKHAN - FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH KUNJUT - PEOPLE OF KUNJUT - SHIGHNAN FRIENDLY WITH WAKHAN-MY MESSENGER TO SHIGHNAN-SHORT ACCOUNT OF COUNTRY-MURGHAB (GREAT KARAKUL) RIVER-RUBY MINES--SHIAH SECT-KAFIR FORTS-MIR WALI SUPPOSED MURDERER OF MR. HAYWARD - YASSIN-ALIF BEG OF SIRIKOL-SLAVERY.

FUTTEH ALI SHAH was closely connected with Ghazan Khan, the chief of Hunza, to whose sister he had long been married, and to whom he lately gave one of his own daughters in marriage. Ali Murdan Shah, the eldest son, was said to be the nephew of the Kunjut chief. He always appeared with a following of Kunjutis, and told me that he made a yearly visit to Hunza, generally staying there several months. The journey from Kila Panja occupies from eight to ten days, and the paths and passes are described as rough and difficult. The best road leads up the stream which joins the Little Pamir one at Langar, and crosses by the Kura pass, which, however, is closed by snow for three months in winter. The road which branches off from the Little Pamir one higher up is open throughout the year, but is not passable by horses. The Kunjutis are Shiah Muhammadans, but they are little trammelled by their religious obligations, as shown by their free indulgence in wine, music, and dancing. Wine is made from the grape and mulberry, which grow luxuriantly in the deep warm sheltered ravines of Kunjut. They send no offerings to their spiritual chief, Aga Khan, as their co-religionists in the neighbourhood do. The country of Kunjut is divided between the two small states of Hunza and Nagar, both of which have latterly been, more or less, in a state of hostility to each other. The people are alike in character and religion. They have an evil reputation with their neighbours as robbers and man-stealers, treacherous, cruel, and cowardly.

The relations between Wakhan and Shighnan are of the most friendly nature, and have been so for a long time. Futteh Ali Shah mentioned having visited the Shah of Shighnan five times during past years. Desiring to obtain further knowledge of the course of the Oxus, advantage was taken of the friendship existing between these chiefs to send Captain Trotter's intelligent assistant surveyor, under Futteh Ali Shah's protection, with a complimentary letter and present to Eusuf Ali Khan of Shighnan, This explorer proceeded as far as Wamur, passing along about 100 miles of the unknown portion of the river northwards from Ishkashim. He was well received by Eusuf Ali at Wamur, and the following information about the country in that direction is taken from his account. The ruler of Shighnan claims the title of Shah. The present Shah, Eusuf Ali, rules over both Shighnan and Roshan. One of his sisters is married

to the Amir of Kashghar, another to Muhammad Alum Khan, the Affghan governor of Balkh and Badakhshan, and a third to Khodayar Khan of Khokand (the ruler lately driven out by an insurrection of the people). The country of Shighnan and Roshan is sometimes called Zujan (two-lived), its climate and water being considered so good that a man on entering it is said to have come into the possession of two lives. Bar Panja, the capital of Shighnan, containing about 1500 houses, stands on the left bank, and Wamur, the capital of Roshan, on the right bank of the Oxus; but the greater portion of both countries is on the right bank. The Murghab, also known as the Bartang river, joins the Panja at Wamur, and is there larger in volume and more rapid in current than the latter. The united streams retain the name of Panja carried from Wakhan, till Kolab is reached, after which it is known as the Amu or Hamu. The Murghab may, however, be considered the largest and longest of all the affluents of the Oxus. The Suchan, formed by two large streams, the Shakh-Darrah and the Ghund, joins the Panja from the east nearly opposite Bar Panja. The men are great sportsmen, and all, even to the Shah, play on horseback at "chaugan" (the polo of that part), but with larger horses and longer sticks than are used in Ladak. The ball, moreover, is a soft leather one. Among the game animals are the Ovis poli, ibex, and a small antelope. Much wine is made and drunk in the country. It is a red sweet liquor produced from the cherry. There are now about 4700 houses or families in Shighnan and Roshan together, but the population is said to have been much greater in former times. Shighnan and Roshan used to receive from the Chinese, during their occupation of Eastern Turkistan, a yearly payment similar to that made to Sirikol, Kunjut, and