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

It was consequently a relief when, towards 7 p.m., we heard our united shouts answered in the
distance. It was Abdurrahīm, who with unfailing forethought had left camp to seek for us. Not-
withstanding all the care taken to keep our little party together, one of the men lagged behind
and lost us in the dark. So, after Abdurrahīm had safely guided us to camp, a search-party had
to be sent out. It failed to discover the hapless Khotanlik. But as by chance he was carrying
Lāl Singh's fur coat, he had some protection from the bitter cold of the night, and next morning
he was able to rejoin us, not much the worse for the exposure.

March
across
decomposed
ridges. Our march next day to the north-east led first across a series of shallow flood-beds with scanty
patches of thorny scrub. After about two and a half miles we reached a deep-cut torrent bed
descending from the Ulun-tementu hills far away to the north (Map No. 29. D. 2). It looked as if
it had not held water for a long time past ; but its steep stony slopes made it difficult for the camels
to cross and necessitated a detour. The ascent of a small cross spur, with rocky ledges cropping
out in lines, brought us to the decayed obo or cairn marked on the map. Here we struck what
evidently is the track regularly followed by the hunters of wild camels when proceeding to Āltmish-
bulak, as shown by numerous little stone heaps and other marks that we noticed farther on. It
led first over gentle slopes of decomposed rock, and then across a plateau covered with a succession
of worn-down rock ledges. Finally, from the top of a transverse ridge rising over a hundred feet
above the general plateau level, we sighted the little oasis of Āltmish-bulak sheltering by the
western edge of a wide water-worn depression.

Arrival at
Āltmish-
bulak. We reached it after a march of over eighteen miles, and all greeted with joy its modest expanse
of luxuriant reeds and tamarisks (Fig. 176). There was an ample sheet of good ice at each of the
four main springs and abundance of fuel to melt it with. The water of the westernmost spring
proved just drinkable for the camels and saved the men the trouble of melting ice for them in such
quantities as would have been needed to slake their thirst of weeks. So contentment was general
and adequate rest assured for men and beasts during the few days' halt, before we set out to reach
the lifeless shores of the ancient sea and to cross its dried-up bed.

OBJECTS FOUND ON ERODED GROUND NW. OF L.A. (C. xciv)

C. xciv. 01. a–u. Twenty stone frs., comprising eighteen
'blades', long, narrow ; and frs. of two cores from which
similar flakes have been split. Dark grey, green, and
purplish stone. Gr. length (blades) a 2⁵⁄₁₆″.

C. xciv. 02. Fr. of glass, translucent, champagne-coloured,
cut. ⁹⁄₁₆″׳⁄₁₆″×¼″.

C. xciv. 04. Carnelian bead, round, red. Diam. ⅜″, h. ¼″.
Pl. XXIII.

C. xciv. 05. Pottery handle, circular with adjacent fr.
of body of vessel. Very coarse clay, badly weathered.
1⅜″×1⅛″×1⅛″. Pl. XXIII.

C. xciv. 06. Pair of bronze tweezers ; complete, good
condition ; cf. Kao. III. 0164. Length 2½″, width near
grip 1″, width at loop ½″. Pl. XXIII.

C. xciv. 07–9. Three stone 'blades', long narrow. 07

pink sard, curved downward at rounded point ; bulb of
percussion at butt. 08, 09 (frs.) grey. Gr. length (07) 2½″.
Pl. XII.

C. xciv. 010. Bronze finger-ring, decorated with double
row of punched dots. Diam. ¾″, width c. 1″. Pl. XXIII.

C. xciv. 011–13. Three bronze arrow-heads of type
L.J. 01 ; triangular in section, with hexagonal bases. Part
of iron tang remaining in 011 and 013 ; 012 has point
ground off. 011 and 013 corroded ; 012 in good condition.
Gr. length (013) 1¼″. Pl. XXIII.

C. xciv. 014. Bronze ring and ferrule, in one piece.
Fine hard green patina in patches. Length 1⅜″, diam. of
ring ¹¹⁄₁₆″. Pl. XXIII.

C. xciv. 015. Stone 'blade', long, narrow, black ; broken
in two. Length of whole 1⅜″.

OBJECTS FOUND BY LAL SINGH ON MARCH ALONG KURUK-DARYĀ, BETWEEN CAMPS 77–80

Lal S. 01. Fr. of pink stone. 2″×⅜″×¼″.

Lal S. 02. Fr. of bronze, irregular. 1″×1″×¼″.

Lal S. 03. Hard paste ball, dark, similar to L.K. 047,
&c. Diam. ³⁄₁₆″.

Lal S. 04. Glass bead, ovoid, dark blue, translucent.
Length ½″, gr. diam. ³⁄₁₆″.

Lal S. 05. Glass bead, tubular, opaque, pale yellow.
Length ½″, diam. ¼″.