ry. The trade carried on with Russia
in recent years has given some life to the place; but few, if any,
merchants proceed more inland than this, whether they come from Khokand
or from Kuldja. The town stretches on both sides of the river, which is
crossed by a wooden bridge; but there are no buildings of any
pretensions for external beauty or internal comfort. The _orda_ or
palace of the Ameer, which is in Yangy Shahr, five miles from the city,
is a large gloomy barrack of a place with several buildings within each
other; the outer ones are occupied by the household troops and by the
court officials, and the inner one of all is set apart for the family
and _serai_ of the ruler himself. In connection with this is a hall of
audience, in which he receives in solemn state such foreigners as it
seems politic for him to honour. In the old days, Kashgar used to be a
strongly fortified position, but the only remains of its former strength
are the ruins which are strewn freely all around. Kashgar is, therefore,
an open and quite defenceless town, and lies completely at the mercy of
any invader who might come along the high road from Aksu or Bartchuk, or
across the mountains from Khokand or Kuldja; but at Yangy Shahr, about
five miles south of Kashgar, Yakoob Beg constructed a strong fort, where
he deposited all his treasure, and this may be taken to be the citadel
of Kashgar as well as the residence of the ruler. Yangy Shahr means new
city, and as a fortification erected by a Central Asian potentate with
very limited means, it must be considered to be a very creditable piece
of military workmanship. The Andijanis or Khokandian merchants who have
at various times settled here, form a very important class in this town
in particular, and it was they who more than any one else contributed to
the success of the invasion of Buzurg Khan and Mahomed Yakoob. It is,
however, said that these merchant classes had become to some extent
dissatisfied with the late state of things, whether because Yakoob Beg
did not fulfil all his promises, or for some other reason, is not clear.
If Kashgar under its late rule was not restored to that prosperous
condition which excited the admiration of Marco Polo, and the Chinese
traveller, Hwang Tsang, before him, it may be considered to have been as
fairly well-doing as any other city in either Turkestan, while life and
property were a great deal more secure than in some we could mention.

Situated about half