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

in a wild deep-cut gorge, sometimes bounded by vertical rock walls and so narrow
that a passenger can touch both sides at the same time. In the summer this road
is impossible, as the gorge is filled to 1¼ m. or more. Only in the winter it can
be used on the ice, and if the gorge is not quite filled with snow. If at the same
time the *Gájek-davan* is closed by snow, the Kirgiz of the region may be cut off
for some time. When I asked what they did under such conditions they answered:
»yatamis», we sleep. Still, at some broad places in the *Khan-terek* valley there
were said to be pitched some 30 or 40 tents at the time of our passage. The water-
course of *Khan-terek* continues down to *Kamper-karaul*, *Tebes* and *Yangi-hisar*.

Two *tash* from the entrance to *Khan-terek's* gorge the latter receives a left
tributary called *Chimgan*. It is large and of importance, as 50 or 60 tents are
pitched in its lower part during the winter; in its upper part during the summer.
Even some barley is grown in this valley, where there is a good deal of *tokai* or
forest. It has a road to *Tur-bulung* and *Ike-bel-su*, and in its upper part are two
glaciers. A right tributary to the *Chimgan* is called *Teres-öso*, and has a bad and
difficult road up to *Kara-tash-davan*, practicable only on foot or with yaks. There
are no inhabitants in *Teres-öso*.

On October 15th we travelled 9 km. E. N. E. to *Gájek-davan*, 3,975 m. high,
thus being an ascent of 1,099 m. and at the rather steep rate of 1:8,2. On the
other side we had 14.3 km. E. N. E. in zigzags to the mouth of *Sarik-kis-jilga* and
up in its valley to the *aul* where we camped at an altitude of 2,762 m., or 1,213 m.
below the pass.

To begin with, the *Chat-jilga* is comparatively broad and has good grazing-
grounds. On both sides the mountains are snow covered. From the north or right
side of the valley enters the *Yaman-jilga*, uninhabited, with small *yeilaks* and a bad
roundabout road to the lower part of *Gájek-jilga* east of the pass. Opposite it is
*Yoruluk-jilga*, uninhabited and with a footpath to *Chumbus* and *Keng-kol*. *Kisil-
teken*, a right tributary, has no road, *Taigan-üshtü*, a left tributary, is also without
importance. *Sor-kisil-teken* and *Kisil-bulak* enter from the right or north. At *Kisil-
bulak*, where springs crop out, three valleys meet; between the two from the N. E.
is a thin ridge of schist across which our road goes. This place is called *Teke-
sekerik*, and from here the valley is an extremely narrow gorge gradually leading
to rounded hills of yellow clay and sand and black fine gravel of schist. There is
some grass, and the place is called *Sarik-ot*.

From *Gájek-beles* nothing could be seen, as all the valleys were filled with
impenetrable fog. From the pass our road goes very steeply down in hundreds of
zigzags on a sharply modelled ramification from the range of *Gájek-beles*, and situated
between the *Belden-jilga* to the right and *Sar-yalang* to the left. At the foot of
this precipitous slope the altitude is 3,602 m., or a descent of 373 m. At this base