Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-10-15

storV Of Wonderful eve
THREE Hundred and sixty buriso
: CiIes-GoId Coins Four Pounds IN
Weight.
An English civil engineer named John,
son, lately engaged in the tisonomeliieal
survey Of Cashmere, has made q eurions
report of what he saw and heard In Uni.
nese Turkestan, a part Of the world long
inaccessible t Europeans. de says mat
while measuring and triangulating, last
wear, at a remote station on the borders OF
Cashmere. he received an invitation to
visit the new ruler Of Khotan, who had
expelled the Chinese from his province,
declared hisindependence, and determined
to enter into friendly relations with the
neares. British officer within reach.
The adventurous johnson being the
handies., the Kahn forthwith requested
his presence at the capital, 1lchi. The
way ,hi,her lay across the Kinn.Lu chain
Of mountains, BY Z difficult pass a. an
elevation of nineteen thousand feet-three
miles and a half. 1t was a hard journey,
but the indefatigable Johnsoo pushed on,
saw the Kahn stayed with him four days,
heard some very wonderful stories. and
then made his way back to the Himalayan
passes, resisting the Khotanese inclination
to hold him as q hostage for the opening
Of commercial relations with England.
1t is said that although German travel
ers have previously crossed sEe high noun
tains which hem in Khotan. no European
has ever before entered 1lchi, the capital.
The Khan is described as a natural king
Of men Of the Csrlylese pattern, eighty
years old, six feet high, stout, of a fair
complexion, and altogether q goodly spe-
cimen Of the old Turkish gentleman, such
as be was N the days before Ottomans
were heard Of. He ruled a province Of
two hundred and fifty thousand inhabit-
ants, whereof his capital contains forty
thousands fac strong men, and short but
pretty women, faI and cleanly in apparel,
and dressing well. all Turks and Moham-
medans, great eaters Of meat and drinkers
Of tea, all carrying on a considerable trade
in the face Of great difficulties, and the
most anxious to trade with the English in
particular. The country, well watered BY
moderate showers, and irrigated from tht
rivers that low northward from the Klun.
Lun, is fertile and productive enough tc
stand a favorable comparison with Cash
mere itself, but its climate is described a!
being much superior, both dry and equa
BILE. g..
The reports brought back by Mr.. John
son are somewhat M~unchausenish. FoI
instance
LIST. The fertility of the country is in,
creased by a fine impalpable dus or molt
which is waited in from the neighborinI
deserts without wind, in perfect calm
and fill. the air so as to darken it,"
This phenomenon occurred during Mr.
Johnsor's visit, and he was then unable 4
read print. at noon without a candle. 1t !
not explained how the dust is blown with
out a wind, but Mr.. Johnson says it il
"waftedin a calm" and he cannot be con
tradicted.
I'd. The storms in the desert raise wavel
Of sand which settle into hills three hun
bred to four hundred feet high. Why no
one thousand feeti
Sd. The tradition Of the country is tina
three hundred and sixty cities were over
whelmed in one day by sand-storms. TIL
sites of these cities are partially known
so there is q vast array Of Pompeiis AM
Ninevehs awaiting somebody's pick-axe
shovel, and archaeological skill.
4th. The people of these buried town
used gold coins weighing four pound
each-but "this is kept a profound secre
by those who know the position" Their
is no relic Of the Brobdigenagian purses il
which this money was carried about 70
everyday use.
9Th. The store Of tea used for the &C
tual consumption Of the people is now dui
out of one Of these ruined cities, and MI
Johnson brought q brick of this tea ava,
with him. The Chinese supply is now Gu
off " so the Ilchians cut of their suppl,
from these bricks.
We are further informed that the coun
try in which these wonderful things hap
pened is highly autiferous-a remar'
which is perhaps unnecessary, when W
remember the four pound gold coin
which seem to have been the circulating
medium. -.u
Mr.. Johnson's report is about TO b
published in London. An s~ppropris,
vignetts would be q drawing Of a lon
bow. r,. ..r....