76 THE KURUK-TAGH AND THE KURUK-DARJA.
The name of Altmisch-bulak, meaning the Sixty Springs, is said to have been given to these springs because between Singer and that oasis there are that number of springs. It is more probable, that the name has been bestowed because it was supposed there are sixty springs in the oasis itself, »sixty» being used as the equivalent of a great many, just as the words for »forty» and »one thousand» are in the names Kirk-saj, Tschihil-sutun (pers.), and Ming-uj. Abdu Rehim also told me of the existence of three other springs without names farther to the east, and described to me their positions so accurately that on the following year, when I approached from the east, I was able, with the help of his directions, to find them out. I mention this to show, that the other information he gave me is no doubt equally trustworthy. Altmisch-bulak lies about equidistant from the three points — Jardang-bulak, Singer, and the nearest part of the northern shore of the Kara-koschun.
Fig. 69. WOUNDED WILD CAMEL AT ALTMISCH-BULAK.
Whilst marching along the foot of the Kuruk-tagh we ascertained that it assumes more and more an easterly direction. Beginning at Korla, it runs south-east, then east-south-east, towards the east from Jardang-bulak, and from Altmisch-bulak east-north-east. Hence it curves like a scimitar, and in this respect resembles the Kwenlun and the Himalayas, and several other mountain-ranges of Asia. I will describe its eastern parts in a subsequent chapter.
I have already recorded the geographical names connected with the road from Jing-pen to Turfan and from Altmisch-bulak to Singer. My informant, Abdu Rehim, told me all the names he knew in the mountain districts around his home, but he added that there were many others lying outside the range of his hunting-excursions. It is impossible on the strength of this information alone to sketch even a pro-
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