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| 0228 |
Innermost Asia : vol.2 |
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of a bronze dagger or spear-head, L.Q. i. 01 (Pl. XXVI) ; the bronze disc i. 02 (Pl. XXVI) ; the
fr. of a miniature bronze horse (?), i. 03 (Pl. XXIV). The bronze bolt L.Q. 01 had been picked
up before on wind-eroded ground some four miles to the north of L.Q.
Visit to
watch-post
on Mesa
to S. Afrāz-gul completed his search at L.Q. on February 18th in the midst of a violent sand-storm
like the one which had overtaken us at L.E. almost exactly on the same date a year earlier.⁷ He
then visited the Mesa about half a mile due south on which he had noticed a year before what looked
like the ruin of a tower. His account records its height as 15 feet, but gives no details of construc-
tion. All round it were found reed-straw and dung of cattle, with marks of burning. Clearing of
this refuse yielded no ' finds '. In view of the vicinity of the castrum L.E. the assumption seems
justified that the height of the Mesa had been utilized for an outlying watch-post.
Return to
Āltmish-
bulak. Next day Afrāz-gul returned to Āltmish-bulak by a route slightly to the west of the one
previously followed and already surveyed. No structural remains were sighted, but the bronze
buckle L.Q. 02 was picked up after three miles' march, and some two miles farther on a Chinese
copper coin of Han type. Near by small bits of ore seemed to indicate a smelting-place. The
physical features of the ground as recorded agree very closely with those noticed by me on the
former route.⁸
Start for
dried-up
Lop sea-
bed. After a day's halt at Āltmish-bulak, used for securing two loads of ice and one of fuel, Afrāz-gul
started for the next and difficult task indicated by his instructions. He was to regain the Mesa
where on February 28th, 1914, we had found Han coins and other relics marking a halting-place
of the ancient Chinese route near the western shore of the great dried-up sea-bed.⁹ From there he
was to search this shore for indications, if any, of the line which the route might have followed
across that salt-encrusted bed. Subsequently he was to survey its extension south-westwards by
moving in the direction of the terminal Lop marshes. The first day's march led for the most part
along stony or gravel Sai, forming the glacis of the outermost Kuruk-tāgh hills and traversed by
numerous shallow drainage beds. Towards the close of the long march outliers were passed of the
great belt of Mesas representing Li Tao-yüan's ' Town of the Dragon '.¹⁰ To the north and north-
east of Camp ccxxxvii. a. salt-encrusted Yārdangs of the ' White Dragon ' type were sighted extend-
ing over what seemed a wide depression.
Mesa of
coins,
dagger, &c.,
regained. At the beginning of the next march a well-marked dry bed about 50 yards wide and 20 feet
deep was passed. Its direction was from SW. to NE., suggesting a possible connexion with the
bed noted the year before near L.J.¹¹ For some 15 miles an easterly bearing was followed across
easy ground with plentiful disintegrated gypsum (the erroneous ' mica ' of Map No. 32. A. 3) and
occasional Mesas. Farther on a belt of soft shôr between salt-encrusted Yārdangs suggested
approach to the ground near the Mesa where the coins, dagger, and other relics had been found, and
which now was to serve as a landmark. Having failed to recognize this Mesa or to find traces of
our passage of the previous year, Afrāz-gul turned to ESE. and pitched his Camp ccxxxviii. a.
where a patch of soft clayey ground overlooked the ancient sea-bed with its hard crust of salt
(Map No. 32. B. 3). Going back the same evening to the NW. for about 3 miles he succeeded in
finding that Mesa and could thus exactly locate his position with reference to the previous year's
route.
Search for
line of
ancient
Chinese
route. On the morning of February 23rd Afrāz-gul, leaving the camp where it stood, proceeded with
Abdulmalik NNE. and after going about 2½ miles came upon our track of 1914 at the point where
we had changed our eastward direction to NNE.¹² From here they turned due east to reach once
more the shore of the ancient sea. Having moved in this direction for one mile they found on the
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