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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
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| 0317 |
The heart of a continent : vol.1 |
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and was all the more keen to reach his country and test his
feelings as soon as possible.
But the second instalment of supplies had not yet arrived,
and each day I looked anxiously up the valley of the Yarkand
River for signs of Turdi Kol, as I was beginning to fear some
mishap, and to imagine that we would be stranded in the
middle of these mountains without anything to eat. At last,
on October 10, Turdi Kol arrived with the long-expected
supplies, and we then retraced our steps to the junction of
the Shimshal River, and ascended the valley through which it
flows. Up this valley, at five miles from its junction with the
Oprang, is a Kanjuti outpost called Darwaza, or "the gate."
It was from this place that the raiders started on their
expeditions, and as we ascended the wild, narrow mountain
valley in which it is situated, we wondered what sort of recep-
tion we should meet with from these robber bands. Rounding
a spur, we saw in the distance a tower erected on the top of
a cliff, and approaching nearer we saw that the whole line of
the cliff, where it was at all accessible, was covered by a loop-
hole wall, at the upper end of which was a second tower. The
cliff formed the bank of a deep ravine, which cut transversely
across the main valley. Looking up the valley on the right
was the unfordable Shimshal river; on the left were precipitous
mountains, and in front this deep ravine. The only possible
way up the valley was by a difficult zigzag path up the side
of this ravine, and that was guarded by the two towers. Some
smoke was curling up from these towers, so we knew that
they were tenanted, and the exciting moment had now arrived
when we should have to beard these raiders in their very den.
I carefully reconnoitred the position with my field-glasses,
so as to be able to decide on our best plan of action in case
of a hostile reception. The path zigzagged down one side of
the ravine, which was about two hundred feet deep, and up the
other, and passed immediately under the wall and through
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