CHAPTER III

MARGELAN AND ANDIJAN
THE journey by tarantass from Namangan to Mar-
gelan occupied twelve hours. Besides the post-
house, where we halted for tea, there is no place on
the way at which a European can stop, even for
half-an-hour. As Margelan lies on the same side
of the Syr Daria as Kokand, we had once more to
trust ourselves to the primitive raft of the country.
When we reached the bank, about midday, we
found twenty horses already on board, with five
men holding their bridles.  Five great wheeled
arbas came next, and left very little room for our
tarantass, but plentiful tipping did wonders, and we
were soon on board. This time we did not alight.
Ourjigit, a handsome mounted soldier from Naman-
gan, superintended the unharnessing and stood be-
side his own horse, patting its neck and encouraging
it; it did not like the look of the raft at all, and seemed
inclined to be restive. At this crossing the water
was much shallower, and three men on horseback
waded across with the raft, singing to their horses.
Behind us a stalwart fellow was punting; ten more
pulled at a rope drawn along the opposite bank.
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