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| 0308 |
The Pulse of Asia : vol.1 |
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stories of the torture from thirst, the frantic search for water,
and final death of the few of their number who have at-
tempted to cross the desert in summer or fall, when the
scanty water supply is in most places undrinkably saline.
Yet in ancient times, up to the second or third century of
our era, Chinese records show that the main trade route
from China to the West traversed this now desolate region.
Such contradictory statements suggest that great changes
have taken place during the past two thousand years, and so,
too, does the fact that on ancient Chinese maps Lop-Nor is
located a degree north of its modern position. This latter
circumstance has given rise to much controversy. Przheval-
ski and other Russians, on the one hand, hold that the mod-
ern lake, the Kara Koshun of the natives, can properly be
identified with the ancient Chinese lake of Lop-Nor; Von
Richthofen and Hedin, on the other, hold that it cannot.
Question has also arisen as to whether the ancient expan-
sion of Lop-Nor, of which there is unmistakable evidence,
persisted into historic times, or had come to an end before
man occupied the country. In the hope of contributing
something toward the solution of these questions, I planned
to travel completely around the unexplored part of the
ancient lake, crossing the Lop desert in its widest part. As
a result of the journey, I became convinced that two thou-
sand years ago, the lake was of great size, covering both the
ancient and the modern locations; then it contracted, and
occupied only the site shown on the Chinese maps; again,
in the Middle Ages, it expanded; and at present it has con-
tracted and occupies the modern site.
Now, as in Marco Polo's day, the traveler must equip
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