the northern arm westward, it being the larger for a couple of hours. It is doubtful, if there is any other arm in this part. If so, it is very insignificant. The main arm spreads out in places over an area of a mile and a half, in others it is not more than Zoo fathoms wide. At either bank the river seems to have cut a channel with a ledge of 3 or 4 feet. Where the river moves away from this ledge, a low-lying area is formed, apparently marshy, though at present you could ride across these places. The local people, however, are very careful in crossing them. The river withdraws a couple of times from the northern bank and describes big curves. In one of these we lost sight of it and only found it again after a laborious ride of over an hour in the djengal. We found it at the spot, where the Kuna darya joins it from the east. Before this junction the Aqsu darya is strikingly insignificant. Until it meets the Kuna darya and absorbs its water, it flows in a direction almost from N to S for a considerable distance.
After to 1/2 hours' laborious riding in the djengal we were very glad when, in the distance, we sighted Matan, where the pack-horses had been sent in advance. During the day we saw a fine eagle, some ducks and many pheasants. Unfortunately my mapping prevented my paying any attention to game.
We reached the river a little above the spot, where we left it yesterday. Here it is 40-5o fathoms wide, has a speed of 9 m a second and flows in a bed about 1/2 to 1/3 fathom below the level of the banks. It describes a curve here open to the SW and withdraws in a direction of 28°. The northern bank is tilled and inhabited, although the fields do not come down to the river. The southern bank, on the contrary, still forms a djengal that only seems to make wav for cultivated ground after a ride of about 5o minutes. We passed three enormous ariqs, by means of which the population tries to secure some of the river water. Six huge parallel walls indicate their direction in the distance. One of the two already completed has proved a failure owing to mistakes in the levelling calculations. The third is under construction. When you see these enormous canals extending for miles, you realise the amount of work expended to induce the land to yield.
IIIFカラー高解像度
