国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

series of expeditions for the exploration of unknown or as yet inadequately surveyed portions
of the Kuruk-tāgh and Lop deserts to the south.

At the same time it became possible also to utilize my prolonged stay for a detailed
large-scale survey of the chief parts of the Turfān basin. Geographi-
Geographical interest
of Turfān basin. cal and antiquarian interests united in calling for such a survey; for
apart from containing in its terminal salt lake probably one of the
deepest land depressions below sea-level of our globe, it exhibits, within close topographical
limits and hence in a particularly characteristic form, all those physical features which make
the Tārim basin, its great neighbour and counterpart, so instructive both to the geographer
and the historical student. For the latter a close survey of the territory must offer additional
archæological interest on account of the very numerous ancient remains which have survived
within or near its oases, and which strikingly attest its importance and resources in the past
when Turfān served as a chief link between Buddhist Central Asia and the Far East.

This work, on the one-inch scale and with clinometrically observed contours, was en-
trusted to Muhammad Yakūb and carried on by him under such control
Detailed surveys in
Turfān depressions. as his periodic visits to my archæological camps permitted me to
exercise. In the end his plane-table sheets, seven in number, covered
the whole of the central part of the Turfān depression and comprised all its oases ancient or
modern with the exception of Toksun in the extreme west of the basin. ⁶⁰ With this and the
other surveys of my two expeditions it is hoped to prepare a detailed map of the Turfān
district, on the scale of 1 : 250,000, for publication in the Royal Geographical Society's Jour-
nal, together with a short monograph on the geography and historical topography of the
territory. In addition, I may mention, both Afrāz-gul and Muhammad Yakūb were engaged
during our work at Turfān in preparing large-scale plans of important ancient sites, such as
the ruined towns of Kara-khōja and Yār-khoto, etc., to be published in my Detailed Report on
the third expedition.

By November 12th I was able to let R. B. Lāl Singh start from Kara-khōja for fresh
hard work in the Kuruk-tāgh to the south. His instructions were to
Plan for Lāl Singh's
surveys in Kuruk-tāgh. reach Singer, the only small inhabited place in those truly 'Dry Mount-
ains', by a new route from the south-east corner of the Turfān basin ⁶¹
and thence to start triangulation towards Āltmish-bulak in the south-east with a view to
securing, if possible, a connection across the Lop desert with the easternmost points on the
K'un-lun range fixed during the preceding autumn. Owing to the incipient season of dust
storms no chance for sighting those distant peaks had offered during our stay at Āltmish-bulak
in February, 1914. But experience during my first explorations at the Lou-lan ruins in
December, 1906, had shown the possibility of such rays being observed under particularly
favourable conditions. At the same time the rapidly increasing cold gave hope that after Lāl
Singh's arrival at Singer and the establishment of a triangulation base there, the season would
be sufficiently advanced to permit of the difficulties arising from the want of drinkable water
further east being overcome by the use of ice formed on salt springs.

Lāl Singh carried out this programme with his accustomed persevering energy in the
face of great hardships and privations, helped once again by that ex-
Triangulation from
Singer to Āltmish-bulak. perienced hunter Abdurrahim and his hardy camels. By the middle
of December he had carried a system of triangles from his measured
base near Singer to Āltmish-bulak. ⁶² There a fresh base was measured, but the chance of
sighting the K'un-lun range south was vainly awaited for a week, the usual desert haze and
the distance, over 130 miles, effectively preventing a view. Lāl Singh then moved one march
further south to the salt spring of Āstin-bulak and after again waiting under still more trying
conditions of extreme cold and exposure succeeded at last on December 23rd in sighting a por-
tion of the distant range. Observations were made from both ends of a new base to a peak