of conduct of
unprincipled selfishness in advancing their own personal fortunes, and
thus prove that they were of the same stamp as all other Asiatic
despots, careless of the day and utterly regardless of the morrow? The
best way to see how they acted, what they did, and what they did not
that was possible, is to follow their rule in Kashgar with some
attention. In itself this may be found to be no uninstructive lesson for
us, who are also a great governing people; and from the perusal of what
the Chinese administrators did in Central Asia we may arise willing to
accord them high praise, because we are better able than other nations
to appreciate the difficulties of their task.

After the fall of Amursana, the Chinese, in the first place, organized
their administrative system upon the following basis:--The supreme
authority was vested in the hands of the Viceroy of Ili. Under him an
amban, or lieutenant-governor, administered affairs in Kashgar. His
place of abode was Yarkand. In internal matters the Yarkand Amban was
without a superior south of the Tian Shan, but in external affairs he
only acted in subordination to the Viceroy of Ili, who alone was in
communication with Pekin. Under each of these potentates there were the
usual deputy-ambans and Tay Dalays, or military commanders. All the
cities had Gulbaghs constructed outside of them, and these forts were
held by Chinese troops--that is, by a mixture of Khitay and Tungani. It
is computed that 20,000 troops used to garrison Kashgar and the
neighbourhood alone. The military posts were restricted to Chinamen, and
the higher judicial and administrative offices were also withheld from
the subjected race. But these were the only privileges retained by the
Chinese.

The Khan, or chief Amban, who resided in Yarkand, made all the
appointments to the minor offices, which were filled almost exclusively
by Mahomedans. The only precaution the Chinese seem to have taken was to
refuse employment to a Kashgari in his native town, so that a Yarkandi
would have to go to Aksu, or some other place away from his home, if he
desired to participate in the government of his country. But beyond this
there was no restriction, and nominally the Hakim Beg, the highest
Mussulman officer, ranked on an equality with the Chinese amban. His
subordinates were all Mahomedans, with the exception of his personal
guard of Khitay troops. In the hands of these natives of the country lay
all the adminis