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0392 Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia, 1899-1902 : vol.1
Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia, 1899-1902 : vol.1 / Page 392 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000216
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282   THE LAKES BESIDE THE LOWER TARIM.

Nevertheless certain names occur so frequently that I am inclined to suspect that they are merely parallelisms or analogues. For instance, I noted that homologous capes in the Gölme-käti and the Karaunelik-köl, situated immediately southeast of the canal embouchure in each case, are called Tokta Niasne-modschughu. In the Ullugh-köl however the cape which bears this name lies farther south. And in both the Karaunelik-köl and the Ullugh-köl there is a bay on the east side which is connected with a »wind-saddle», or gateway for the wind, in the dune-crest; this bay is called in both cases Kaghune-kakmasi, another instance of the same name being employed to express geographical homologues. The name Ilias Murab occurs three times in the Ullugh-köl and once in the Karaunelik-köl. At the south-east of the Gölme-käti there is an Abdu Semeti-modschughu, and in the same quarter of the Ullugh-köl an Abdu Semet-kakmasi, that is to say, the same name for a bay and a cape occupying the same relative position in two different lakes. Chodscheli's name is used twice in the Ullugh-köl, twice in the Gölme-käti, and once in the Karaunelikköl. Of course it is quite possible that all these names, thus frequently repeated, really are the names of especially enterprising fishermen; but it is little likely that one and the same Chodscheli actually owned fishing-rights in three different lakes, when we call to mind the fact that one or in some cases two villages stood beside the feeding-canal of each. It is more likely that once a name has been applied to a characteristic feature in one lake, it is afterwards, by analogy, transferred to a corresponding feature in another lake.

The accompanying sketch-map (Pl. 45) shows the sounding-lines which we ran across the Ullugh-köl. Here again our work was seriously hampered by the wind, so that we were frequently obliged to think more of our own personal safety than of taking soundings. Strictly speaking therefore, the soundings which we took here are not sufficient in number for a completely adequate result; but even though the isobathic lines which the sketch exhibits are therefore only approximate, still they will afford a fairly sufficient idea of the general shape and character of the lake-bottom. The general bathymetrical laws which obtain in all these lakes are, in the case of the Ullugh-köl, in no wise impaired by the presence of the island in the middle; on the contrary, if anything it helps to accentuate them. Thus we always find the deepest places along the foot of the leeward faces of the dunes: the maximum altitudes of the sand-swellings and the maximum depths of the lake are situated in immediate proximity the one to the other. The greatest depth is found, as usual, in the southern half of the lake; the northern half is shallower; and the extreme north end, where the canal enters, is remarkably shallow: the 2 m. isobath runs a long way out from the shore, and the depth over more than 5o per cent. of the area of this northern half does not exceed 4 m. Everywhere where the shores are exposed to the wind, that is to say, the western shore of the lake and the eastern side of the island, the isobaths run at a relatively great distance out, whereas they hug close the eastern side of the lake and the western shore of the island. Accordingly we obtained our five deepest soundings at the foot of the steep leeward flank of the dune-accumulation. Three of these were close to the east shore, namely 8.98 m. in the northern half of the lake, I 0.0 m. in the southern half, and 7.40 m. in the eastern bay at the southern end. Near the east side of the western bay we obtained a depth