Innermost Asia : vol.1 / 143 ページ（カラー画像）

0143	Innermost Asia : vol.1
極奥アジア : vol.1

bed. The place was found at last, but the water collected in a small pool proved so brackish that
our ponies, sorely tried as they were by thirst after two marches under a still powerful sun, could
not be induced to drink it.

The march resumed on October 17th afforded a good opportunity for appreciating the
advantages which the ' old route ' along the foot of the hills might have offered in days when the
difficulty about water was less serious. During the night four of our camels strayed away to the
tempting reed-beds in the south-west and could not be recovered until a week later, with the
assistance of men dispatched from Marāl-bāshi. Notwithstanding the heavily increased loads
and a late start the remainder of the transport covered on that day with ease a long march of
twenty-four miles ; for it led throughout over the smooth and open ground afforded by the constant
succession of small fans along the foot of the hill chain (Fig. 78). The end of a projecting spur,
known to Barat as Vilvil, formed a conspicuous landmark, and at its foot, about seven miles from
camp, we left behind us the long belt of marsh previously described. Beyond it the range became
considerably reduced in height, but still retained its uniform appearance of a steep rock wall. To
the south the reed-beds completely disappeared, being replaced by small cones with living tamarisks
stretching east and south as far as the eye could reach. And the view from this point ranged far ;
for soon after leaving Vilvil I sighted in the hazy distance the Mazār-tāgh hills beyond Marāl-bāshi.

A peculiar feature breaking the easy monotony of the day's march was encountered towards
its close. Here lines of dead Toghraks, all fallen and mostly in double rows, stretched for miles
along the southern edge of the bare narrow fans that we were skirting. The trunks all looked as
if they had for ages lain on the ground, exposed to decay. The trees had obviously grown up
along lateral drainage channels, such as could still be traced in places, but without the slightest
sign of recent water action. These channels must have collected moisture, which the range
immediately above apparently received with some regularity during the prevalence of a less arid
climate.

We had now reached a point where it was possible to sight, not only the high Mazār-tāgh
peaks overlooking Marāl-bāshi from the east, but also the nearest of the other isolated small ranges
that here rise island-like from the plain between the outermost T'ien-shan and the Yārkand river.
They had already attracted my special interest on geographical grounds, when I passed some of
them in the spring of 1908 on my way from Kelpin to Marāl-bāshi.¹⁵ A long reconnaissance,
which I then made from the latter place, had failed to carry me to the old remains reported to
exist at the foot of the Lāl-tāgh range (Map 7. B. 4),¹⁶ and as these might have some relation to
the ' old route ' I was endeavouring to trace, my first intention now was to continue our journey
due east until we reached that site. Barat had visited it twelve years before and was ready to
guide us straight to it. But he knew of no water on the way, a two days' march, nor could he
feel certain that the ' Kak ' he remembered at Lāl-tāgh actually held a supply. Regard for the
ponies, which had already done three days' travel without a proper drink, obliged me therefore
reluctantly to turn south-east towards Marāl-bāshi. Fortunately our survey along the foot of
the mountains had extended sufficiently far to make it certain that the range, now trending in
a straight line to the north-east and with increasing height, had its direct continuation in the barren
hill chain I had surveyed in 1908 south of Kelpin.

The necessity of guiding our convoy prevented a visit to the westernmost isolated little ridge
jutting out from the plain at a distance of some six miles to the north-east of Camp XVI (Map 8. A. 1).
It was known to Barat and also to the people of Marāl-bāshi by the name of Shikarwai. It was
said to be visited periodically by ' Karaulchis ' sent out by the officer commanding the Marāl-

国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

引用情報

OCR読み取り結果

国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト 『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

引用情報

OCR読み取り結果

国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ