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0138	Innermost Asia : vol.2
極奥アジア : vol.2

in complete accord with the chronological indications derived from the style and details of the
fragmentary painting as above analysed.

Records of
A. D. 705
concerning
postal
horses. [The annotated translations since received from M. Maspero of the five documents above
mentioned have not only confirmed their dating from A. D. 705 but also shown their contents to be
of much interest from an antiquarian point of view. These records have been found to belong to
a file of reports and orders concerning losses which had occurred during the early part of the year
705 among the horses maintained in the district of Hsi-chou or Turfān for the postal service and
other official purposes. The circumstances, locality, &c., in which the animals died are precisely
recorded ; the statements of the veterinary or other officers who investigated the individual cases
with a view to ascertaining the cause of loss and fixing the responsibility for it are reproduced in
full ; information is recorded as to the delivery of the dead animals' skins, also whether it was
possible or not to dispose of their flesh by sale, &c. The mention of particular localities where
losses occurred helps us, in conjunction with the data furnished by the references in the T'ang
Annals, to trace regular postal stages on those much-frequented main routes ¹⁴ᵃ which led, then
as now, from the Turfān basin towards I-chou or Hāmi, Pei-t'ing, and Yen-ch'i or Kara-shahr.
These quaint records aptly illustrate the difficulties which necessarily attend transport on lines of
communication leading through what was at that time, as it is to-day, mainly desert. They throw
light, moreover, on the methods of meticulous organization by which the Chinese administration
constantly endeavoured to counter these difficulties of nature and to economize resources.]

Remaining
tombs of
Ast. iii. In the north-eastern corner of the same enclosure a fifth tomb, Ast. iii. 5, was also explored.
It proved to be completely empty, though the large amount of drift-sand that filled it showed that
it had been opened and plundered long ago. As seen in Pl. 33, its plan, with small niches opening
from the tomb chamber, was peculiar. The remaining four tombs all showed signs of having been
searched in recent years and were therefore left unexamined. In conclusion I may remark, with
regard to this group, that the general similarity of the observations and finds made in the tombs
above described supports the conclusion that these burials belonged approximately to the same
period. The evidence of the dated documents found in iii. 3 and iii. 4 permits us to attribute the
others also tentatively to the first half of the eighth century.

Sepulchral
inscription
of A. D. 698,
at Ast. iv. 1. An inscribed clay slab having been found by one of our men near the surface of the trench
leading to a tomb in a group situated to the east of ii, I had this tomb, iv. 1, cleared. Its small
chamber (Pl. 33), which was almost completely filled with sand, held only one body, and this was
too much battered for any observation of interest. The inscription in six lines of Chinese characters
painted in red on bluish ground was successfully photographed (Pl. CXXVII). Its date, as read
by Li Ssŭ-yeh and verified by Dr. Lionel Giles, corresponds to A. D. 698.¹⁴ᵇ

Finds in
tomb Ast.
v. 1. The similar discovery of a large inscribed slab, Ast. v. 1. 07 (Pl. LXXIV), at the top end of
an approach trench induced us to turn next to the enclosed group of tombs, v, towards the middle
of the area. The tomb at which the inscribed slab was found faced south immediately towards the
entrance of the enclosure (Pl. 31, 33). It contained one body badly damaged but still retaining portions
of an outer silk shroud of indigo colour. This was painted near the head, as shown by the fragments
recovered, Ast. v. 1. 02, with the bold representation of two faces, and farther down with curved
bands of red and white which probably belonged to two intertwined serpentine bodies, such as may
be seen in the hanging Ast. ix. 2. 054 (Pl. CIX) to be described below.¹⁵ Of the silk face-cover,

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