The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-05-13

very important parsonage, indeed, De
cause when he called on officials h
always got himself up In golf trousers
black leggings, bright smoking jack
Of. and trimmed his hat with brigh
cOlored cloth.
The road to Chinese Turkestan from
| India leads not over single mountain
range and a single pass, but involves
| crossing a belt of high mountains and
deep valleys about 200 miles broad
through several major passes and
numerous minor ones. The most di-
rect route leads from Srinagar, capital
of Kashmir, as an advance base, north
by way of what is sometimes called
the Hunza Pass into the Taghdumbash
Pamir. the Chinese portion of the
Roof of the World" This road leads
over the final barrier between British
and Chinese lands close to the point
where British, Afghan and Chinese
territory have a common corner. and
Russian territory lies only about TWEEN
tv miles away. From the Chinese
Pamir, a region whose valleys lie at
an altitude of from 10000 to 12,OOO
feet, the route runs down some OF the
headwater streams of the Tarim
through a rough mountainous region
and foothills, to Yarkand, metropolis
of Chinese Turkestan.
The less direct route from kashmlr
to Chinese Turkestan leads first TO
Leh, remote hill town of Ladakh,
about 200 miles to the east. From
Leh eastward leads an important cara
van road into Tibet, while to the north
lies the eastern route to Chinese Iur-
kestan. The KarakOrum Pass, over
$4,000 feet high, the key to this route,
is about 100 miles north of Leh. A
short distance beyond Chinese terri
DRY is reached and the way then leads
through a rough country, following
liver gorges and striking across ridges.
o the lowlands. Caravans both to
Ihotan and Yarkand follow this route,
liverging in the latter stages of the
Quincy.
AS traveller approaches Yarkand
fter trip through the bleak regions
O the south he is impressed by the
ertility of the oasis in which this re-
note metropolis is situated. This Is |
specially true if he arrives at sea-
on when the extensive orchards Of
pples. pears, peaches. apricots. null
erries and walnuts are in bloom or
ruit. The soil is deep, fertile loess
,hich needs only water to make it ex-
eedingly productive.
Yarkand a Busy Place.
Although large community, Yark-
nd is uninteresting. There are no
-ructures of architectural value. The
osques are devoid of beauty and
lere is a squat sameness to the
wellings. The structures lining the
'incipal streets have Sidewalks"
.otected by fiat matched projections
afford protection from the sun.
Considerable business is conducted
the bazaars at Yarkand. During
e open season in the mountains
ravans are constantly coming in
ON India, China and Russian Tur-
stan, and leaving for those coun- Z
les. The various GASES of Chinese
lrkestan each have characteristic
ndlcraft products, and selection Of
csc are always available in Yark-
ID: carpets, rugs, silk and cotton :
brics, metal work, leather goods
)st characteristic Of the country are {
de ornaments, for the mines of Chi >
Sc Turkestan are the most prolific l
URGE of jade known to the world
ice conditions in China have been e
disturbed in recent years, the out a
of jade has fallen off markedly. t;
lotan, being nearer to the mines, is O
. particular jade center Of the coun- Il
xashgar, a hundred miles to the >;
-thwest of Yarkand. has a popula- !,
4 only about half as great as
rkand. but its inhabitants seem
re prosperous. Its bazaar is clean
its shops better and the streets are
Ter. Kashgar is not so fortunate, ct
vever, in the matter of fertile soil re
must import some Of its food 70
ifs from other GASES. -.
hinese Turkestan has scientific -
rest for ethnologists and a senti-
ltal interest for all Westerners, for vi
S the reputed early home Of the es
an race.
he Pamirs. which lay for centuries
Ost a mystical region. became we'll de-
wn during the Nineteenth century ma
to Russian and British rivalry in by
part of the world. and the dis AMI
h by each of surveying parties De,
N this activity began the Chinese Del
established military posts near the
borders. Almost as effectnal in snc
ring up the geography Of the re.
have been the numerous expedi-
J of big game hunters, chiefly Brit La
who have gone into the region
world long spoke Of the PamIr re- of
as very high plateau Marques of
on OF Keddleston. then an MP a r
I'd the country in 1894. and was ann
lg the first to brand this miscon-
on, and to describe the Pamirs ms
lofty, flat-bOttomed mountain VAL
walled In by still more lofty