492 THE TARIM DELTA.
Recapitulating the main features of the hydrography of this region — the Kuntschekisch-sala, or Eastern River-arm, enters the Tajek-köl via the Bos-ilek and Avullu-köl; the Ghol-sala, or the Middle River-arm, because it is situated between the others, enters the Kara-köl; and the Ettek-sala, or the Western River-arm, flows to the Ilek via Scharkurun and the Suji-sarik-köl, or the Yellow Water Lake, so named because its bottom is free from sand. Thus, whilst the Tarim has a slow and regular fall, there occur in the eastern waterway, in two places, »thresholds» with waterfalls, and these will only disappear when the lakes have been filled and levelled up.
On the 29th April we returned across the small lakes and tschapghans to the Ettek-sala, and after crossing it plunged once more amongst the tschapghans. The first lake we came to was the Tajir-kirgen. On the left was an island with poplars on it. Our course was towards the north-north-west, with the belt of sand on the right. The next lake, Kemi-tapdi, was larger; it was followed by the Ghun-ilek, with a distinctly perceptible current. Here we obtained depths of 447 and 3.50 m. At one point, where the water converges south-west into the upper kok-ala of the Jätim-tarim we sounded depths of 3.12 and 4.0 m. Then we again had an ilek, with a velocity of 0.65 m. in the second; thus this canal, although flowing through reeds and bordered on both sides by marshes belonging to the Tschivilik-köl, had a pretty swift current. Every now and again there were on the right islands with toghraks; these last did not appear to be thriving in the superabundance of water. The depth amounted to 3.60 m. The firm, sandy shore of the Tschivilik-köl was visible a short way off to the east. The Kara-köl lay south-east and east-south-east. Then we emerged upon the Tschivilik-köl, where there are bigger open sheets of water. The strip of land which separates this lake from the Kara-köl narrows towards the north (Pl. 55). We obtained depths of 4.64, 3.90, 4.10, and 4.40 m.; this lake appears to be remarkably uniform in its depth, though it should also be stated that our course along it lay at an equal distance from the eastern shore, where the elevation of the dunes, their slope, and the relations of the wind were everywhere the same. Here was a tiny fishing-station of 2 ujlik (8 persons) called simply Tschivilik, the name that is applied to the lake as a whole. The tamarisk-mounds which here clot the shore consist almost entirely of sand, and are crowned by living tamarisks; it is evident they have been formed directly by the sand-dunes, and these again are in part held together and deformed by them. This occurs at the spot where the strip of land between the Tschivilik-köl and the Kara-köl is narrowest, the kamisch of the latter being visible at less than one kilometer's distance. S. 80° E. there is, a long way off, an open sheet of water. The dunes and tamarisk-mounds of this isthmus are highest in the west, their altitude decreasing as the shore of the Kara-köl is approached; this lake sends out amongst the reeds long tapering polyp-arms, with islands at their extremity. The shore-line of the Tschivilik-köl runs N. t o° W. Viewed from the isthmus just mentioned, the lake appears to have its longest extension towards the N. 75° W., but its western shore was lost in the distant haze.
Continuing towards the north-west, we obtained soundings of 4.20, 4.14, 4.67, 4. r9, 2.67i 5.00, 4.80, 5.15, 3.62, and 2.66 m., the lake being here again of pretty uniform depth. On the way we passed a good many small islands encircled by reeds, with
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