IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Across Asia : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
C. G. MANNERHEIM
in larger quantities. Snow may fall in the gth, but usually in the loth Chinese month and melts in the ist. Sometimes it scarcely remains lying at all. Easterly burans are common in winter and spring; they also occur in summer, but rarely. They are so severe that they blow people off their feet. There is rain between the 4th and 8th Chinese months, but seldom. The distance covered to-day is estimated at 70 li. I make it 19-20 miles.
.November 23rd. Last night the temperature fell to —15° R, and when we started it was —17.5° R,
Pu-lung-chi still with an east wind, i.e., a head wind. At first the ground was similar to that towards (Bulunjir) the end of yesterday's journey — hummocks and small mounds covered with grass pro-village. truding from the snow. On the left, at some distance, we saw the mountain that was indistinctly visible through the snowstorm during the latter part of yesterday. There were a few houses and some grass for about 4 miles. After that all vegetation ceased. 4 or 5 miles further on we crossed some low mountains coming from the right, with many small hills. In crossing the mountains we met a half-frozen Chinese monk, barefoot, his feet covered with ice. He could scarcely move them. I sent one of my men with a horse to take him to the nearest sarai, but he refused to accompany us. The »jai», who was some distance behind us, said that he found him lying, apparently lifeless.
About 50 li from Hsiao-Wan we passed the village of Shon Taphu with a few houses, an impanj with a gate facing E and a bazaar with a couple of shops. The ground was again covered with grass. The road had cut fairly deep into the ground and snow had accumulated in the slight valley to a considerable depth. Two or three farms lie about 25 li from the village and 15 li further on we reached the village of Pu-lung-chi (Bulunjir). It consists of about 5o houses (30 of them belonging to soldiers of the same kind of militia as at Ansi), a small bazaar, 8 shops and 3 sarais. The other villages in the oasis are as follows: W —? with 5 houses, E — Tjugo with i8 houses, S — l;ja ho with 8 houses, NE — Tjigo with 24 houses and E of Tjigo 37 houses. Ito hou of tilled land. The garrison, commanded by a tusy, was encamped in an impanj with a gate to the S, surrounded by the bazaar. On paper it consists of a vin, but in reality there were scarcely 40 men with matchlock rifles fired by means of a wick. The organisation is the same as at Ansi and Tun-huang. Wheat, peas, opium, and tchinkhö are grown and yield a to-12 fold crop. Snow from the loth to the 2nd Chinese month. At times it only lies for a few days. A little rain between the 5th and 8th Chinese months. Easterly burans are common and very severe during winter and autumn. — The road is quite passable. Distance go li, according to my calculation 24-25 miles. — Water from wells at a depth of 2 t /2 arshins. Straw and some fodder for sale.
November 241h. During the night the temperature was —20.5° R, but not more than —19.5° R, when
San-tao-Kow we started out. Fortunately, the east wind was not so high now, — otherwise it would, village. indeed, have been difficult to make any headway. The weather was bitter. Just after Pu-lung-chi we crossed a small stream or ariq. The ground is a level, grassy plain, the grass being high and protruding from the snow in large tufts. In about 7 1/2 miles we reached a small valley, thickly covered with reeds, where horses were grazing. t /3 of a mile later we
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