Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / 406 ページ（カラー画像）

0406	Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1
1873年ヤルカンド派遣報告 : vol.1

it was thus evident that the lake was partially supplied from warm springs. A few wild fowl
were congregated near this end of the lake doubtless waiting for the rapidly approaching warm
weather to melt the ice and enable them to proceed with their parental duties.

The lake runs nearly due east and west, is about ten miles long, and nowhere more
than two miles in breadth.

The valley in which it lies is, opposite the lake, about four miles broad. The height of
the hills to the north I estimated at 3,000 feet above the level of the lake, while those on the
south were at least 2000 feet higher.

The only name by which the lake is well known to natives is "Kul-i-Pámir Kalan," i.e., lake
of the Great Pámir. I have once or twice heard it called "Airún Kul," or buttermilk lake.
To avoid confusion, and to make as little possible change in existing nomenclature, I purpose
calling it "Kul-i-Pámir Kalan," or "Victoria Lake," the last name being the one originally
bestowed by its discoverer, Lieutenant Wood. Our camp, which was about two miles east of
its head was called by the "Wákhis" Sar-i-kul (head of the lake), a camp in a corresponding
position at the lower end being called "Bun-i-kul" (foot of the lake). This may account
for the other name erroneously given to it by Lieutenant Wood (Sir-i-kól).

After reaching camp, a distance of 16½ miles, I went to the head of the lake to investigate
its drainage and determine its limits (for from a little distance off it was impossible to
discriminate between the ice on the lake, and the snow on shore). I was soon
convinced that all the water from the hills at the east end drained into the lake, which
therefore like its neighbour in the Little Pámir has but one outlet, although in the former
case the water flows west, and in the latter east. To the East of the lake the valley opens out,
and forms a large basin which extends ten or twelve miles from West to East, and six miles
from North to South. At the lower portion of this basin, surrounding the head of the lake, is
a great deal of marshy ground formed by the drainage which enters from numerous side
valleys,* coming from the hills on the South. At the time of our visit this marsh was covered
with snow and ice; but later on in the season, when the snow is melting on the surrounding
hills, there is much water, and the place is said to become the favoured breeding place of thou-
sands of geese.

Our march from Sir-i-kul lay along the Northen side of the valley, the whole of which
was deep in snow, and was so level that I experienced considerable difficulty in determining
the correct position of the water-shed, which was crossed at a distance of twelve miles from the
east end of the lake and at a height of 14,320 feet. A frozen stream here comes down from
the North, divided into two portions by a low ridge of gravel, one flowing eastward into the
Aksu River, the other westward into the lake.

Eastward from the water-shed the Great Pámir valley contracts. We followed down a
rivulet which, shortly before passing the camp at Shásh Tupa, joins a considerable stream coming
down a broad valley from the North. The name of our camp was derived from the "Shásh
Tupa" or "six hills" by which it is surrounded, and between each pair of which roads issue to
different parts of the Pámir steppes.

Our road from Shásh Túpa lay for nearly eight miles due north on the right bank of the
stream, and then continued down it for ten miles in a north-east direction to the camp "Dahn-
i-Isligh."† On our left we passed three broad open ravines, containing streams coming from
the west; one of them was nearly as large as the river we were following, and before joining

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