THE SARIK-JILGAS AND OTHER VALLEYS. 59
Just south of the road some big blocks are called Chadir-/ash, after which the high and steep tributary valley of Toro comes in from the south with snowy mountains in its background. A glacier is not visible in its upper part, but at its mouth there are extensive and mighty old moraines of granite and several erratic blocks. A part of the gorge itself is also filled with moraines. The moraines below the mouths of the southern tributaries press the Taghdumhash River against the left or northern side of its valley, where the mountains have a steep fall to the river. These mountains were called Ak-tan (Ak-lagh). Opposite Toro there is a valley Teke-sekerik with no road and no pass.
From the north enters the broad and mighty valley of Beïk, also called Palk. Opposite it, on the right bank of Tag-hdumbash-daì ya, was an aul of four tents; two Kesek, one Bostan and one Tell. At the same place was a Chinese karaul of three tents. All these tent-dwellers remain here the whole year round watching the roads to Ak-lash and Taghdunahash Pamir. The winter is cold with much snow and hard western winds.
From the south open two considerable tributaries both called Sarik jilg-a, both with old moraines, meadows, some bush-vegetation, brooks and a snowy range in the background. Between these we pass the aul of six tents belonging to the Kirgiz chief of the region, Kasim Bek. Near the camp we passed living rock, a hard crystalline variety in 64° S. 6o° W. Here the river is divided into several branches crossing very good grazing-grounds. At our camp a lonely tent was pitched, and at the left side of the river there was a larger Kesek aul with great flocks. The inhabitants pass the winter somewhat lower down in the valley. Their shepherds wander with the flocks to the vicinity of Vakjir, where the grass is said to be good and the snow is swept away by the continual wind. At our camp in the region of Kara-chukur the snow used to reach a man's knees. The cold is less intense here than at Masar and Ak-lash. The two Sank valleys were now inhabited by Kirgiz. It is difficult to count the number of tents, as many of them are hidden in the small valleys. The natives themselves estimated that in this upper part of the Taghdumhash were i oo tents, about half of them Kesek and half Sarikteït, but there were a few tents of Naïman and other tribes.
At Kalik, Min-/eke and generally all along the southern mountains, the amount of snow is very considerable. In the middle of November the snowfall begins in earnest, and is at its maximum in the middle of January. The hard winter is reckoned as being four months long, and the autumn is three months. As early as the middle of October there is not much water left in the river which is completely frozen in the winter; only springs then have running water. As a rule the river is difficult to cross in summer; 1895 was an unusual year, as the river could be crossed nearly everywhere. ThQ greatest part of its water is said to come from Vakjir; Tegermen-su,
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