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

it for pasture as far as the Káshghar boundary, said by the Sirikol Governor to be twenty
"tash" (about eighty miles) beyond the Fort. The Pághdúngbásh Pámir lies to the north of,
and parallel to, the Little Pámir, from which it is separated by a broad chain of hills joining
with the Neza Tásh mountains, and forming one unbroken range. The Sirikol valley, after
extending south for some distance, bends towards the west, and merges into the Pághdúngbásh
Pámir, which appears to be merely a continuation of the valley at a higher elevation.

The climate of Sirikol is severe. Hassan Shah, the present Governor, who has had five
years' experience of it, says, that there are only two seasons, summer and winter, the former
lasting but three months, the latter nine.

The Sirikol river was of considerable size when we first crossed it, March 29th. The
perfect clearness of its water, the steadiness of its flow (equality of volume day and night)
and the severity of the cold then, showed it to be at the usual low winter ebb. It is said to
be joined, about fifty miles further down, by the "Tong," a stream as large as itself, if not
larger. Should this be found to be correct, it is probable that the Yárkand river may yet be
regarded as rising in the Kunjút range instead of the Kárakoram, as hitherto believed.

The Págharma plain lies about three miles to the north-east of the Sirikol valley, and is
of the same elevation. It is a fine open crescent-shaped flat, about twelve miles long by seven
broad, extending from the south-west to the north-east, and is well watered by a stream which
flows through it from the north-eastern end and falls into the Sirikol river. This stream is
plentifully fed by numerous springs in the middle of the plain. A few Sirikolis reside and
cultivate in it, but the main portion of the inhabitants consists of one hundred Kirghiz
families under their Chief Krúmchi Bí, who permanently occupy the plain as a pasture land, for
which it is admirably suited from the richness and abundance of its grass.

This plain is separated from the Kizil-Art by a low rounded ridge, formed by projecting
spurs from the opposite mountain ranges, the Neza-Tásh to the west and the Págharma to the
east. The ridge forms the watershed between the two plains, the drainage on the Kizil-Art
side flowing into the Little Kárakúl lake, said to be about twenty miles distant. The Bardish
pass leads from the watershed over the Neza Tásh range into the Áktásh valley. The road
over this pass is reported to be good. It emerges nearly opposite the Great Pámir.

According to the accounts given by the Kirghiz, the Kizil-Art plain extends north from
the Págharma to the Aláí, from which it is separated by a mountain range. The height of
the two former is about the same, and that of the latter (the Aláí) somewhat greater, but still
considerably less than the elevation of the Pamir, judging from Fedchenko's description.
That traveller mentions the preference given by the Khirghiz to the Aláí over the Pámir, by
reason of lower height. The Kizil-Art is similar in character to the Págharma plain—being
well watered and abounding with grass and fuel. Its length is about one hundred and thirty
miles. It is enclosed on the east by the mountain range extending, and sweeping round from
the direction of the Kokand "Terek" pass and the Aláí, and on the west, by the Neza Tásh.
The Little Kárakúl lake lies in the lower, and the Great Kárakúl in the upper part of this
plain. The former gives exit to the "Gez" stream, which flows eastward through the Gez
pass, under the lofty and massive Múztágh (the Págharma peak of the maps), into the Kásh-
ghar plain, and there joins some of the numerous branches or canals of the Káshghar river.
The size of the lake is given as about fifteen miles in circumference. The Great Kárakúl is
stated to be about forty miles in circumference. It receives feeders from the Aláí dividing
range, and gives exit to the Múrgháb, which finds its way westward through the Neza Tásh
range, and flows towards Shighnán and Roshán. Four lakes on the Kizil-Art, and in
its vicinity, were mentioned as giving rise to streams: the Great and Little Kárakúls already
spoken of, the Rang Kúl in the Siríz Pámir, and the Yeshil Kúl in the Alichor. The two
latter furnish tributaries to the Múrghab. Further mention will be made of these Pámirs and
their lakes later on in this narrative.

We left Táshkurgán for Wakhán on the 2nd April. Hussun Shah, the Governor,
accompanied us part of the way out. He rode a very fine Túrkoman horse (the first and only
one seen by us) with gold mounted trappings. We remarked him to be almost the best
dressed and equipped officer we had met in the Atálik's service. Our first day's journey was