National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0292 |
The heart of a continent : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
twenty-six miles, passing on the way the camping-grounds of
Chiraghsaldi, where the route from Yarkand, which I followed
in 1887, joins in, and which is the furthest point reached by
Hayward. From this point the valley narrowed considerably,
and as the stream runs at places between enormously high
cliffs, it is necessary to be constantly crossing and recrossing
the river, which gets deeper and deeper as streams from
either side add to its volume, till at last it becomes too deep
to be forded by laden ponies, and we were brought to a
standstill at the same gorge where I was delayed two years
ago. The river at this point was up to the ponies' backs,
and flowing with a strong rapid current over a rocky bottom,
so that it was out of the question to take our baggage over on
ponies ; and we had to halt for the night (September 7) and
wait till the morning, when the river is less deep than during
the afternoon, as its volume is then increased owing to the
sun melting the snows.
On this march we passed some ruins on a grassy plain
called Karash-tarim (i.e. the cultivated lands of Karash, a man
who is said to have lived here some eighty years ago). There
were remains of half a dozen huts and some smelting furnaces,
and there were also signs of furrows where land had been
cultivated. This strip of grass and jungle was over half a mile
long and six hundred yards broad, and doubtless in former
times was a flourishing spot. There were evident signs, too,
of the existence of minerals, copper and iron, and possibly
even gold in small quantities may be found, for quartz and
pieces of iron ore were abundant ; while there are many tradi-
tions of the presence of minerals in these mountains, and the
name of the country, Raskam, a corruption of Rastkan (a real
mine), clearly shows that minerals may be expected.
Lower down we passed a considerable stream called the
Bazar Darra, up which a route leads to Pakhpulu. The size of
the stream, twenty-five yards broad by one and a half foot deep,
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
43
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
53
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
63
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
74
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
85
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
96
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
106
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
116
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
126
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
137
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
147
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
157
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
169
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
179
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
189
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
199
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
210
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
222
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
233
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
243
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
255
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
266
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
277
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
287
.
.
290
291
292
293
294
.
.
297
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
307
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
317
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
327
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
337
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
347
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
357
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
367
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
378
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
388
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
398
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
408
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
419
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
430
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
440
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
450
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
461
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
471
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
482
.
.
485
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
