where Yakub Beg was superintending the erection of fortifications, to protect himself against the Chinese.
The day following our arrival at Korla one of Badaulat's personal suite, a certain Zaman Beg, formerly a Russian subject, born at Nukha[1] in Trans-Caucasia, and probably of Armenian extraction, paid us a visit. Having been actually at one time in the Russian service he spoke Russian fluently, and at once informed us that he had been sent by Badaulat to accompany us to Lob-nor—a piece of news that disconcerted us not a little, for I well knew that he was sent as a spy on our movements, and that his presence would be rather embarrassing than otherwise. Zaman Beg was, however, personally disposed to be friendly, and showed us all the attentions he could, for which I cannot be too grateful. Indeed, we got on better with him at Lob-nor than with any other of Yakub Beg's officials.
We left Korla for Lob-nor on the 4th of November. Besides the members of our own party the caravan included Zaman Beg, his servants, and a hadji. Hardly had we started than our companions showed us how disagreeable they
- ↑ [Nukha rose to be a place of some note about the middle of the eighteenth century, when it was the capital and place of residence of the khans of Shekin, who are reported to have turned back Nadir Shah's victorious army. In 1805 Nukha was taken by the Russian general Nebolsin, and finally annexed by Russia in 1819.—M.]
