CHAPTER XVIII.
THE ULLUGH-KOL AND BEGELIK-KOL.
The Tajiri-kakmasi, the next lake south-east of the Karaunelik-köl, is quite a small lake. Its first bajir is called Ilias-bajiri; its second, which is very long, bears no name.
Next comes the Ullugh-köl, which I mapped and sounded on the 2 I st May. This lake, which stretches almost due north and south, at all events with a smaller inclination westwards than usual, is fed by a short canal, through which the current was running at a lively rate. The words Ullugh-köl mean the Big Lake, and the name is so far warranted, that the lake is at all events bigger than its neighbours. On this occasion too our work was hampered by the wind, coming from the south-west, an unusual quarter, at any rate at that season of the year. It blew most irregularly, violent gusts sweeping across the lake time after time, while in the intervals between it would be perfectly calm. Still, even this was sufficient to alter to a certain degree the slope of the summits of the dunes, by sculpturing a steep sort of cornice or shelf on the exposed side near the top. The annexed fig. shows the dune in
vertical section. The cornices thus formed go on increasing in width as long as the wind continues to blow. Nevertheless the change effected in the relief of the dune-mass as a whole is very small; at the most its advance is only checked to a very slight extent. The effects produced by this south-westerly wind would be obliterated by an easterly tempest in the space of an hour. The difference between these two winds is therefore this, that from the east the wind often continues for 48 to 6o hours without intermission, whereas from the south-west it is seldom steady, but comes in gusts or squalls. But relatively slight though this south-westerly gale was, I found, upon walking across the dune-accumulation on the western shore of the lake,
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