THE KURUK-TAGH AND JING-PEN. 37
Strangely enough, on both the i I th and 12th March, there was a pretty brisk breeze, blowing at the rate of as much as 8 m. in the second. This brought with it an inconceivably thick dust-haze; indeed the entire atmosphere was loaded with dust, so that we could not see more than two or three hundred meters ahead. It also raised the temperature to 2 I°.4 C. at i p. m. on i 2th March. This rise was manifestly caused by the wind, for no sooner did the wind veer round to the east than the thermometer dropped quickly — and a big drop.
Certain particulars which I gleaned about the country between Jing-pen and Turfan are worth recording. The route between these two towns passes through the following places: — (I) Toghrak-bulak, situated amongst the low foot-hills of the Kuruk-tagh; there poplars and kamisch grow around a freshwater pool. (2) Asghan-bulak, situated in a tolerably open locality, though there are mountains round it at some distance away. (3) Singer, which is shut in by mountains not very far off on the west and south, though on the other sides it is open, except for slight hills. Here dwells a karaultschi, or »watchman», appointed by the amban of Dural; his principal duty is to keep an eye upon and arrest the churdschas, i. e. poor people whom the Chinese compel to cultivate the fields at the new settlements they make. West of Singer lie the mountain-ranges of Schi-da-sen (the Great Stone Mountains) near Asghan and Dun-da-sen (the Great Eastern Mountains), the latter being the eastern continuation of the former. The Schi-da-sen is reported to be a range of some magnitude, abounding in springs, pasture-grounds, and vegetation. On the contrary, the range of Mo-chur-sen (Miserable Dry Mountains), which lies to the south of it, is insignificant, barren, and desolate. (4) Pasa Begning-bulaghi, with salt water, and some grazing and tamarisks. (5) Usun-bulak, a kamisch-grown saline lake surrounded by tamarisk steppe. (6) A desert tract, in which the traveller encamps wherever he pleases. This tract extends to (7) Atschik-bulak. (8) Budschentu, where Mongols formerly dwelt; east of it is a large lake called Ajdin-köl, and east of that again some ruins known as Hassaj-schahr, deriving their name from a former inhabitant. (9) Turfan.
Between Budschentu and Da-dung there are extensive marshes. At Usun-bulak the road divides, a branch leading thence to Atschik-bulak (not the spring of this name just mentioned, — it lies a day's journey farther to the west), thence to Tatlik-bulak near Hassaj-schahr, and so on to Luktschin. At Är-pischme near Usunbulak an attempt was made in the time of Jakub Bek to establish a Mohamedan colony. West of Usun-bulak is a spring called Orkäsch, and between the first-named and Atschik-bulak lies Egertschi. Half-a-day's journey east of Usun-bulak is Baschbulak. The spring of Tarka is situated not far west of Är-pischme. The following topographical names were given to me as being connected with the Ortäng jol, or »post-road», beyond Asghan-bulak: — Tschen-tschang, called by the Mussulmans Korghaschun-keni, or the Lead Mines, and situated east of Mo-chur-sen. Dscho-bi-sen is a high mountain on the west of the road, almost south-west of Tschen-tschang, where about 3o people — Tungans, Mongols, Chinese, and Mohamedans — are said to grow wheat. At Po-dschun-sa there are an örtäng, ruins, a tora, and five men, who also grow wheat. Gen-so-chola is a deserted station. At Schor-bulak there is an örtäng. Two other names along this same route are Üschme-däng and Aghir-bulak.
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