On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c23.s15.1

v2.c23.s15.1

The pilgrim continues—"Crossing a mountain of Dhammasthiti (Wakhan), one goes north to *Shi-k'i-ni*". This country he describes as above 2000 *li*, and its capital as five or six *li*, in circuit; it was a succession of hills and vales with sand and stone wastes everywhere. There was much pulse and wheat, but little of other crops; trees were rare and there were very few flowers or fruits; the climate was very cold; the people were given to robbery and murder and did not recognize social proprieties or moral distinctions, erring as to future retribution they feared the [punitive] misfortunes of this life. They were ill-favoured, wore skins and serge; and they had a writing like that of Tokhara, their spoken language being different.