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| 0017 |
Innermost Asia : vol.1 |
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examination of all the more important sites and to secure, besides other antiques, a considerable
collection of interesting mural paintings from ruined Buddhist shrines (Chap. XVIII). Particularly
ample results rewarded the exploration of a large burial-ground near Astāna, the deposits of its
tombs yielding abundant relics of the early T'ang period, such as figured silks, stucco figurines, and
other objects of artistic or technical interest (Chap. XIX).
From Turfān I paid a rapid visit to the provincial head-quarters at Urumchi, north of the T'ien-
shan. It enabled me to see again my old Mandarin friend P'AN TA-JÊN (Mr. P'an Ch'ên 潘 震),⁷ᵃ
whose kind support, which I had experienced on all my former explorations, was now helping to ward
off threatened official obstruction. To the memory of this lamented friend, who died in 1926, still
in office and honoured throughout Hsin-chiang for his high character, true scholarship, and rare
integrity, I wish to offer here my tribute of sincere respect and gratitude.
During these months R. B. Lāl Singh had carried out extensive survey operations in the
waterless Kuruk-tāgh range to the south. Starting in the middle of February, 1915, I was able to
supplement these by work in the western portion of the same desert region and by the exploration
of ancient burial-grounds along the 'Dry River' that once flowed to Lou-lan. At the same time
our topographical knowledge of the Lop Desert was enlarged by a survey which Afrāz-gul success-
fully carried out under very trying conditions (Chap. XX). Moving between the western foot of
the Kuruk-tāgh and the Konche-daryā which had once fed the 'Dry River', I examined the remains
marking the line by which the ancient highway from China gained the string of oases along the north-
ern rim of the Tārim basin (Chap. XXI). Our move westwards by the latter allowed me to trace
the line followed by the ancient Pei-lu, the 'Northern Route' of the Chinese Annals, to Kuchā,
and subsequently to explore a series of old sites now abandoned to the desert which mark the
former extent of this large oasis, important both geographically and historically (Chap. XXII,
XXIII). While R. B. Lāl Singh was carrying his survey along the T'ien-shan as high up as the
early season would permit, I myself rapidly travelled to Kāshgar by the present caravan route,
acquainting myself with ground that I had not previously visited (Chap. XXIV).
After arranging during a busy stay at Kāshgar for the safe transport to Kashmīr of my collec-
tion of antiques (which filled 182 cases), I started in the middle of July, 1915, for my journey across
the Russian Pāmīrs and the valleys of the Upper Oxus. It was greatly facilitated by the friendly
offices of Prince MESTCHERSKY, the Russian Consul-General at Kāshgar, and Colonel I. D. JAGELLO,
then commanding the Pāmīr Division. Passing down the great Alai valley I followed the route of
the ancient silk trade from China, as described by Marinus. Then crossing the succession of high
ranges which divide the main feeders of the Oxus, I reached ground on the Alichur and Great
Pāmīrs which had seen the passage of the armed forces as well as the Buddhist pilgrims of China
(Chap. XXV). As I made my way through Wakhān and up and down the secluded alpine valleys
of Ghārān, Rōshān, Shughnān, and Darwāz, I was able to examine ruined strongholds of early
date and throughout to observe much that is ancient in the racial type of the people, their language,
and ways of living (Chap. XXVI). The anthropometrical materials here collected are discussed
by Mr. T. A. JOYCE in Appendix C. After regaining in Kara-tegīn the route of the old silk traders
towards Baktra I travelled through the hills of Bokhāra to Samarkand. Thence the Transcaspian
railway allowed me to gain Persian ground. Subsequently, a rapid but instructive journey of
three weeks along the Perso-Afghān border, brought me safely to Sīstān by the close of November,
1915 (Chap. XXVII).
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