National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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it for pasture as far as the Kâshghar boundary, said by the Sirikol Governor to be twenty " tash" (about eighty miles) beyond the Fort. The Tâghdilngbâsh Pâmir lies to the north'-of, and parallel to, the Little Pâmir, from which it is separated by a broad chain of hills joining with the Neza Tâsh mountains, and forming one unbroken range. The Sirikol valley, after

extending so~ û   some distance, bends towards the west, and merges into the Tâghdûngbâsh
Pâmir, which appears to be merely a continuation of the valley at a higher elevation.

The climate of Sirikol is severe. Hassan Shah, the present Governor, who has had five years' experience of it, says, that there are only two seasons, summer and winter, the former lasting but three months, the latter nine.

The Sirikol river was of considerable size when we first crossed it, March 29th. The perfect clearness of its water, the steadiness of its flow (equality of volume day and night) and the severity of the cold then, showed it to be at the usual low winter ebb. It is said to be joined, about fifty miles further down, by the Tong," a stream as large as itself, if not larger. Should this be found to be correct, it is probable that the Yarkand river may yet be regarded as rising in the Kunjût range instead of the Karakoram, as hitherto believed.

The Tâgharma plain lies about three miles to the north-east of the Sirikol valley, and is

of the same elevation. It is a fine open crescent-shaped fiat, about twelve miles long by seven

broad, extending from the south-west to the north-east, and is well watered by a stream which flows through it from the north-eastern end and falls into the Sirikol river. This stream is plentifully fed by numerous springs in the middle of the plain. A few Sirikolis reside and cultivate in it, but the main portion of the inhabitants consists of one hundred Kirghiz families under their Chief Kriimchi Bi, who permanently occupy the plain as a pasture land, for which it is admirably suited from the richness and abundance of its grass.

This plain is separated from the Kizil-Art by a low rounded ridge, formed by projecting

t. ~? Vic.   4„ o~► ,~ , spurs from the opposite mountain ranges, the Neza-Tâsh to the west and the Tâgharma to the
for . east. The ridge forms the watershed between the two plains, the drainage on the Kizil-Art .~side flowing into the Little Kârakûl lake, said to be about twenty miles distant. The Bardish pass leads from the watershed over the Neza Tâsh range into the Âktâsh valley. The road

over this pass is reported to be good. It emerges nearly opposite the Great Pâmir.

According to the accounts given by the Kirghiz, the Kizil-Art plain extends north from the Tâgharma to the Alai, from which it is separated by a mountain range. The height of the two former is about the same, and that of the latter (the Alai) somewhat greater, but still considerably less than the elevation of the Pamir, judging from Fedchenko's description. That traveller mentions the preference given by the Khirghiz to the Alai over the Pâmir, by reason of lower height. The izi - rt is similar in character to the Tâgharma plain—being well watered and abounding wit grass and fuel. Its length is about one hundred and thirty

miles. It is enclosed on   east by the mountain range extending, and sweeping round from
the direction of the Kokand Terek” pass and the Alâi, and on the west, by the Neza Tâsh. The Little Kârakill lake lies in the lower, and the Great Kârakill in the upper part of this plain. The former gives exit to the " Gez " stream, which flows eastward through the Gez pass, under the lofty and massive Milztâgh (the Tâgharma peak of the maps), into the Kâshghar plain, and there joins some of the numerous branches or canals of the Kâshghar river. The size of the lake is given as about fifteen miles in circumference. The Great Kârakûl is stated to be about forty miles in circumference. It receives feeders from the Ali ii dividing

•         range, and gives exit to the Miirghâb, which finds its way westward through the Neza Tâsh range, and flows towards Shighnân and Roshân. Four lakes on the Kizil-Art, and in

its vicinity, were mentioned as giving rise to streams : the Great and Little Kârakûls already spoken of, the Rang Kill in the Siriz Pâmir, and the Yeshil Kill in the Alichor. The two latter furnish tributaries to the Mtirghâb. Further mention will be made of these Pamirs and their lakes later on in this narrative.

We left Tâshkurgân for Wakhân on the 2nd April. Hussun Shah, the Governor, accompanied us part of the way out. He rode a'very fine Ttirkoman horse (the first and only one seen by us) with gold mounted trappings. We remarked him to be almost the best dressed and equipped officer we had met in the Atâlik's service. Our first day's journey was