Yeshil-köl or the Green Lake as it is called byte Mohammedan Taghliks in the Kwen-lun, was previous to my journey, well known to students of the geography of Tibet. Carey had already passed along its western shore in 1886, and the same way was taken in 1892 by Dutreuil de Rhins and Grenard. On his memorable journey, 1896—I899, Deasy had passed along the northern, eastern and part of the southern shore, and along the northern shore Wellby and Malcolm had travelled in 1896. Finally Zugmayer passed on the plain immediately west of Yeshil-köl in 1906. Under such conditions I had not very much to add except measuring the depth of the lake. Neither is the lake unknown to the Changpas or northern Tibetan nomads, as could be seen from the small earthen cairns or mounds, which they are erecting in long straight lines for hunting antelopes. Now the region was as lifeless as the rest of Northern Tibet.
The crossing of the lake was accomplished on September 24th, 5.9 km. E. N. E. to the northern shore, and thence 8.2 km. S. E. to the southern shore. The situation will be well understood both from the photographic panorama on the opposite side, and from the sketched panorama, 35A and 3 5B, Tab. 7, taken from Camnft XIX. On the latter we see the mountains to the N. W. , north and N. E. , where the lake comes to an end in this direction. N. 68° E. a red hill served as a landmark, and on this our course was steered. From there we should try to steer upon a point to the S. 71° E. on the southern shore, where a bright point was said to be the place where springs come up and where Deasy had passed several days, as two of my men could witness who had accompanied him. To the S. 40° E. the southern end of the lake appeared. From S. 15° E. to south stretched the high snow-covered range mentioned above. When seen from a short distance, the water of Yeshil-köl has a green colour, which is partly due to its comparative shallowness. The bottom consists of grey clay, of salt crusts hard as stone, of sand with ripplemarks, and, at the northern shore, of gravel and blocks as the continuation of the mountains rising there. At the western shore the clay forms, as it were, a barrier of blocks incrusted with salt; they are to be seen both below and above the water. At 1 o'clock p. m. the water had a temperature of 9.5° and the air 10.3°. On the first crossing, which took us 41/2 hours, the greatest depth sounded was 16.10 m. and was situated nearer the northern than the southern shore. This depth remained the absolute maximum I measured in this lake, and it is not likely that deeper places would be found, at least not south of our course, for the southern half of the lake is very shallow, being a gradual continuation of the nearly level plain south of the lake. At a very short distance from the northern shore there are ridges of hills more or less parallel with the shore-line, and at one place with a steep fall to the lake. From the landing point the shore-line runs N. 70° W., after which it gradually turns west, S. W. and south, and on the other hand, to S. 80° E., S. E., south and S. W. Just where we
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