The road leads in a decidedly easterly direction on leaving the Bain Bulaq camp and runs up the broad valley of the Baga Yulduz. Behind us in the S was the Bain Bulaq mountain, on the top of which the Kalmuk praying site rose like a tuft. On the right across the river lies Sydrul, a huge mountain range enclosed by the Baga and Ikhe Yulduz in the N, E and S. A triangular, snow-capped peak, Shovgurul, rises from it above the rest. Through the gap between the Bain Bulaq and Sydrul mountains, at the place where the river divides them, you see in the far distance a large, whiteclad mountain range that bounds the Ikhe Yulduz valley in the S. Our old friend, the range over which the Dagit dawan led us, rises on the left. Here the mountain ridge is called Narnbel ul. In the NE it divides and forms a considerable gorge, Tsakurtan Kharsalan gol, from which there is a stony river bed, dry at present, that crosses the road about 2 I /2 miles from the camp. Immediately to the N of it we crossed some marshy patches. The ground ascended imperceptibly, though its gradual fall eastward to the Baga Yulduz was easily noticeable. The latter river flows 2/3—I mile E of the road, but is invisible. About a mile on the other side of the Tsakurtan Kharsalan usun are the first yurts that indicate the edge of the river bed on the right. A mile to a mile and a half further on the river comes into view about 2/3 of a mile from the road, winding in an arm fully 15o feet wide with a slow current. The road runs close to the edge of the bank, from which you obtain a good view of the river and the meadows near it, lush but evidently rather marshy. Here and there you see some grazing herds of horses or cattle. The animals are few in number and lean, but some of the horses are well built and strong. The yurts form groups of 3-4 along either side of the river. Above the bank the grass is very bad, if possible even worse than in the Ikhe Yulduz valley.
The road gradually approached Narnbel ul which was now no more than I —I I /3 mile distant. We crossed its eastern spur, some small hills that extended as far as the road. The Sydrul mountains receded from the river that comes from the east and curves round a group of hills projecting from Sydrul in the form of a separate spur. These are called the Kharnurin Tolga mountain. For about two miles we rode quite close to the river round these projecting hills. Narnbel ul in the W had again receded and opposite the Kharnurin Tolga mountain there is an open quadrangle of about two miles, shut in by mountains on three sides. The mountains in the background, i.e. to the N, appear to be the lowest. In the NW corner of the quadrangle a wide gorge opens, from which a small water-channel, Nartuyn usun, dry at present, issues. The road to Narat dawan goes up this gorge. It is said to be less steep than Dagit, but more difficult owing to a great number of marshy places in the gorges on either side of the pass. This year the pass is not yet open owing to the unusual depth of the snow. Here the banks of the river begin to grow marshy. The road creeps along close to the foot of Köktulga ul, the continuation of Narnbel ul, and proceeds due E. The Kharnurin Tolga mountain joins Sydrul again, the latter now being called Irbyng ul. Between the river and these mountains the ground goes in mounds and hillocks on which there is little or no grass. At a distance we could see marshy places between the mounds.
We soon lost sight of the river and continued along the foot of the mountain on the left. We crossed the beds of two rivers, Artsan usun, the water in one being 20 feet wide, the
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