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

detritus shoots from former glacier snouts. The small grassy spots between these were marked by
a striking abundance of fine alpine vegetation. Here, as elsewhere in the high mountains west of
the Pāmīrs, there was plentiful evidence that glaciation had considerably receded during recent times.

Across
Kayindi
pass to
Chakur-
jilga.

From our camp, pitched at an elevation of close on 14,000 feet, the Kayindi pass, 16,200 feet
by the Russian map, was crossed without much difficulty on August 5th. The ascent lay over old
moraines and finally for about a mile on a broad gently sloping glacier, descending from the west.
The top of the pass was almost clear of snow. After we had descended to the narrow gorge through
which the stream of the Kumush-jilga passes, a very steep track led up to a plateau gently sloping
south-eastwards. From the end of it an extensive panoramic view opened over the wide valleys
that descend from the south and east to the head of the Sēl-dara, and towards the west where the
combined waters of the latter pass in a gorge below the flank of the Sēl-tāgh. It was interesting
to observe that the long ridge overlooking the main valley to the south showed six distinct old
riverine terraces to a height of about 400 feet above the present bed. The Pāmīr-like look of the
wide landscape, combined with the scanty vegetation, formed a striking contrast to the Muk-su
and Kayindi valleys. Our farther march led up the main valley to the south-east, past the streams
which descend to it from the glacier-crowned watershed towards the Tanimaz river on the south.
Camp was pitched after a march of some 33 miles at the debouchure of the Chakur-jilga. The
day's halt here which our Kirghiz transport needed was utilized by me for a visit to the fine glacier
filling the head of the Chakur-jilga (Fig. 367). Its snout, which is quite half a mile across, was
reached at an elevation of about 14,600 feet. The range to the south, though crowned by heavy
névé beds and firm ice, was said by our intelligent Kirghiz guide to have been crossed in the 'old
Kirghiz days' at more than one point by tracks used for raids into the upper part of Rōshān.

Crossing of
Takhta-
koram.

On August 7th we moved up the main valley for about 6 miles and turned south into the
Takhta-koram-jilga ; the gently sloping bottom of this is filled with bare rock debris, whence its
name. After passing four small tarns of intense green, we reached the Takhta-koram pass without
trouble at an elevation of about 15,100 feet. Immediately to the west a small glacier descends close
to it from a bold snow peak. The very steep descent at first led over a bare rock slope and then
over old moraines into a wide-bottomed valley to the south, where at an elevation of about 13,000
feet we found a delightful patch of meadow land and camped.

Visit to
Kirghiz at
Kara-chim.

The necessity of securing fresh transport and a fresh guide for our farther move obliged me
next day to seek contact with Kōkan Bēg, the headman of the Kirghiz who graze about the Great
Kara-kul lake eastwards. For this purpose we had to descend first into the Kōk-yār valley, which
drains westwards into the Tanimaz or Kūdara river. Where the valley from the Takhta-koram
pass debouches into it we passed huge terminal moraines of the glacier which once had filled the
former. A couple of miles farther we turned off north into the side valley of Shōr-āle and ascending
a steep rocky ravine lined with cliffs of red sandstone reached the Kizil-bēl saddle, about 14,700 feet,
which takes its name from them. On our descent down the wide gently sloping valley I was met
by Kōkan Bēg, a fine-looking man (Fig. 356), and conducted by him to a small summer camp of
some of his men at Kara-chim at an elevation of some 13,700 feet.

Route
chosen to
Alichur
Pāmīr.

From that capable headman I was able to secure useful advice with regard to our future route.
From him I first learned of the great lake which since a mighty earthquake four years before had
formed in the Murghāb river valley. Covering what had previously been the Sārēz Pāmīr, this
lake effectively blocked the straight route I had intended to follow towards the Alichur Pāmīr
across the Kara-bulak and Marjanai passes. Not wishing to follow the well-known road past
Pamirski Post, I decided to move down to Saunāb, at the head of the Rōshān valley, and thence
to seek a passage past the great barrage which had created that new lake, towards the lower end