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

Having moved north to Pisha, I sent the surveyor to follow a new route to Khotan
skirting eastwards the slopes of the Tikelik-tâgh (18,780 feet), ²⁰ while
Preparations for winter I myself proceeded there by the direct route, already surveyed in 1900,
campaign. in order to gain time for multifarious preparations for the desert campaign
of the autumn and winter. On September 15th I set out for a series of ruined sites to the
north-east and east of the Khotan oasis. At the same time Râm Singh was sent off
independently to the foot of the main K'un-lun range south of Keriya in order to resume his
survey work where it had stopped in December 1900 near Imâmlar (Tört-Imâm), ²¹ and to
extend his triangulation along the northern main range of the K'un-lun as far as possible
eastwards.

Having gained Imâmlar via Keriya, Râm Singh was able to utilize for his hill survey
to the south and south-east the points fixed by his triangulation of 1900
Triangulation along as well as a number of high peaks on the spurs above the gorges of
K'un-lun east of Keriya. Pôlur which Captain Deasy's triangulation had determined in 1898-99.²²
He then measured a base for triangulation above the hill village of Achchan further east
(Sheet No. 14. D. 4.), connecting it with two of Captain Deasy's points. Information as
to the determination of this base and the methods by which the triangulation there started
was successfully extended to the east, first as far as Surghâk, south of Niya, and subse-
quently beyond Charchan to a peak in longitude 86° 46' (Sheet No. 27. B. 1), will be found
in Major Mason's Appendix A. The total length of new triangulation work thus accomplished
by Râm Singh along the K'un-lun range extended over five degrees of longitude.

After completing archæological explorations in the desert north of the Khotan-Keriya
line, partly on ground not previously surveyed, I reached the Niya oasis
Explorations resumed by October 14th. There the surveyor rejoined me from his work near
at Niya site. Surghâk ²³ and, being by chance favoured by clear atmospheric conditions
was able to fix the position of the small market-town of Niya by means of triangulation from
the K'un-lun. It is the first and so far only instance of an oasis on the edge of the great
desert having thus been exactly located. From Niya he accompanied me to the ancient
sand-buried site beyond the termination of the Niya river first visited by me in 1901. There