AN EXCURSION UP THE EASTERN WATERWAY OF TIIE TARIM DELTA. 473
consequently the current is pretty swift, as appears from the section appended herewith. Thence our course was south-west as far as a point where a not inconsiderable portion of the volume turns into the Barat Kulning-köli. Although the entrance (aghis) is single, the stream soon divides into two canals, one broad, the other narrow; both traverse a broken poplar forest until they reach the lake, which is so far distant that it cannot be seen even from the top of the high tamarisk-mounds. A little above this point we encamped (No. XXXV) amongst the sand-hills, tamarisk-mounds, and dead toghraks. Thence we saw N. 55° E. the southern part of the Arka-köl, with a pretty large area of open water, which became lost to sight northwards amongst the reeds. The space intervening between the Ilek and the Arkaköl is occupied by long ridges of sand and by tamarisk-mounds, with an occasional toghrak, dead or living, amongst them. The eastern shore of the lake was lost in the haze, but I knew what it was like from having seen it in 1896.
Fig. 416. THE ILEK NEAR TOGHRAK-TSCHEKE.
During the course of the day I obtained the following measurements: at Kumtscheke, breadth, 16.75 m.; mean depth, 2.760 m.; mean velocity, 0.5134 m.; volume, 23.73 cub. m. in the second. The last preceding measurement below the Sadak-köl had resulted in a volume of 18.60 cub. m. in the second. Adding to this the 6.36 cub. m. of the Märdäk-köl stream, we get a volume of 24.96 cub. m., or 1.2 cub. m. more than at Kum-tscheke. Considering the loss of water by the way, one would have expected the contrary; but possibly the Ilek had dropped somewhat during the three days. Anyway the river had lost 5.13 cub. m. between the Lajlik-tarim and Kum-tscheke.
The canal from the Arka-köl was difficult to measure because of the kamisch. Although its embouchure was 25.66 m. across, the actual current was only 3.65
fled in , yourney in Central Asia. 60
IIIF Color HighRes
