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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia, 1899-1902 : vol.1 |
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| Küjüsch, June 6. |
Citation Information
210 THE TARIM1 RIVER.
bears the name of Tokta Kullune-köli, pointing to the existence of an abandoned loop hidden in the forest. Immediately below that lies on the left a large boldschemal, abandoned two years ago. At the örtäng or gen-deng (»station house») of Tokum the river used formerly to make another sharp bend, though, luckily for us, it had quite recently deserted it. But it was still full of water, and the station-house was standing on its bank. Hence the people of the station-house, and any travellers who may chance to spend the night there, have to put up with stagnant water to drink, unless they prefer to fetch it from the river. The great highway which accompanies the Tarim from Arghan touches each west-going loop in turn; so at Tokum-tiischkün. Thereupon the river inclines to the east, in long zigzag reaches, leaving the highway behind it. The first bend is called Kayak-asti. But so level is the ground that in places the river flows for short distances towards the north. At Küjüsch (the Confluence) the river is joined by another kok-ala without a name, its water just as clear as the water of its predecessors. It communicates with the Tarim by a narrow bottle-like neck, just above which it widens out into a basin. Below the Ilek Kulatscha the eastern stream divides again into two branches. Of these the one on the left, the river proper and the larger of the two, forms the Sadak-köl, while the smaller, the one on the right, goes to Küjüsch. It dimensions
were — breadth, 6.20 m.; mean depth,
0.795 m.; mean velocity, 0.1934 m.; and
volume, 0.95 cub.m. in the second. With
regard to this stream the same thing holds
Fig. 177. Right. 0.99 1.24 0.95 = depth. Left.
24 25 20 good that we have found to obtain in
19 19 17 } velocity. the case of the preceding branches: in the
Breadth=6.2o in. Küjüsch, June 6. Scale x : 200. autumn it is entered by the water of the
Tarim. Formerly this arm used to join the main stream at the next following loop, were we saw its mouth, then dry. At Turfanlik-ottogho on the left there is a boldschemal ; the name indicates that people from Turfan once halted or dwelt there. A similar tale, mutatis mutandis, is told by the name Kamschuk-ottogho (Where the Kamschuks Halted), given to a boldschemal about 25 years old, which also bears the name of Chodscha-jaghan-köl. This however contains water, which soaks through from the river at all seasons. After that comes a loop jutting out towards the east, though its days are apparently numbered, and then a dry arik, issuing from the river on the right.
All day long forest was common, and well advanced in growth; and although the roots of the numerous trees lent a certain degree of tenacity to the banks, these were nevertheless seriously undermined by erosion. Here the velocity was as much as 0.60 m. in the second. The river-bed is deep, and has been carved out with extraordinary energy. In fact, like the Ugen-darja, it resembles a dug canal, while the alluvial deposits are confined to very narrow strips, or for long distances are absent altogether.
In those regions and at that season night comes like a friend doubly welcome, as it freed us from both the toils and the torments of the day. As soon as the moon rose, we used to continue our drift with the current, for not only was the air then fresh and cool, but it was purified of the swarms of irritating gad-flies,
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