rder and security
introduced by Yakoob Beg.

Ush Turfan, New Turfan, is a small town on the road from Kashgar to
Aksu, and is not to be confounded with the better known Turfan which is
situated in the far east on the highway to Kansuh. This latter town is
called Kuhna Turfan, or Old Turfan, to distinguish it from the other.
Ush Turfan, without ever having been a place of the first importance,
derived very considerable advantage from its position on the road
followed by the Chinese caravans, and Yakoob Beg converted it into a
strong military position by constructing several forts there.

Aksu, one of the old capitals of Kashgar, may fairly be called the third
city of the state, although it has, perhaps, more than any other
declined since the expulsion of the Khitay. Before that event took place
there was a road across the mountains to Ili, by the Muzart glacier, and
relays of men were kept continually employed in maintaining this
delicately constructed road in a state fit for passage both on foot and
mounted. But all this has been discontinued for many years now, and not
only is the road quite impassable, but it would require much labour and
more outlay to restore it to its former utility. In the neighbourhood of
this town there are rich mines of lead, copper, and sulphur. These
have, practically speaking, been untouched in recent years. Coal is also
the ordinary fuel among the inhabitants; and both in intelligence as
well as in worldly prosperity, the good people of Aksu used to be
entitled to a foremost position among the Kashgari. As a consequence of
the blocking up of the Muzart Pass, the old trade with Kuldja has
completely disappeared, and all communications with this Russian
province are now carried on by the Narym Pass to Vernoe. This change
benefits the city of Kashgar, but is a decided loss to Aksu. Aksu may
still justly rank as an important place, and under very probable
contingencies may regain all the ground it has lost. In conclusion, we
may say that Yakoob Beg has converted its old walls and castles into
fortifications, which are said to be capable of resisting the fire of
modern artillery.

We have enumerated six cities--Kashgar, Yangy Hissar, Yarkand, Khoten,
Ush Turfan, and Aksu--and these constitute the territory of Kashgar
proper. At one time, indeed, it was called Alty Shahr, or six cities,
from this fact. In addition to these may be mentioned, in modern
Kashgaria, Sirikul, or Tashkurgan, in the e