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

last but unmistakable traces of that ancient wind-eroded hill range. Elsewhere, near Camp
XXVII, fully 30 miles from the nearest point of the present Yārkand river course, the surface
of a small belt of wind-eroded clay was covered with plentiful relics of the Stone Age, proving
occupation by a Palæolithic settlement of what is now absolutely lifeless desert.

We regained the Yārkand river to the east of the Chok-tāgh in a violent sand-storm
which, if encountered amidst the high dunes, would certainly have
Yārkand R. regained. brought us to a standstill for some days. Then we surveyed rapidly the
tracts of riverine jungle on the left bank to the southern extremity of
the Ak-su cultivation, near Ghōra-chōl, where the last dried-up offshoots of the Kāshgar-daryā
lose themselves. ⁹ Thence the head of the Khotan river delta was gained by a route not
previously surveyed. It was of distinct interest as showing the great change which the
terminal course of the river had undergone since my passage in 1908. ¹⁰

The journey further up the Khotan-daryā, accomplished by a series of forced marches,
led necessarily along the route already followed in that year. But a
Journey along renewed visit to the Mazār-tāgh was rewarded by the discovery of
Khotan-darya. Buddhist remains, of special interest as proving the antiquity of the
local worship from which this desert hill derives its modern name. Before reaching Khotan the
opportunity was used also for surveying a small unmapped portion of the Kara-kāsh river course.

After a brief halt at Khotan necessitated by manifold practical arrangements I set out
on November 28 for the long journey eastwards. Some 700 miles still
Fresh surveys east of separated me from Lop-nōr, and for the work planned in the desert
Khotan. region beyond, it was essential that I should reach it while the winter
cold allowed water to be transported in the convenient form of ice. Rapid progress was
therefore important and this could only be assured by following in the main my previous route
by the southern edge of the Taklamakān. Nevertheless I was able to use what opportunities
for surveying new ground were presented by archæological work to the north-east of the
Domoko oasis and at the ancient site beyond the termination of the Niya river. ¹¹ Elsewhere
occasion could be taken to observe and record on the map the interesting changes which
extended cultivation had brought about in the limits of the oases since our previous surveys.

Subsequently a 'short cut' taken from the Yār-tungaz to the Endere river allowed us
to survey an unexplored desert area to the north of the caravan route. ¹²
From Yār-tungaz to When following this towards Charchan, in bitterly cold weather with
Endere. minimum temperatures down to 50° F. below freezing point, exception-
ally clear atmospheric conditions allowed us to sight day after day the snowy K'un-lun range
far away to the south. At most seasons it remains quite invisible to the traveller between
Niya and Charchan. Now intersections from peaks previously triangulated on it permitted
the route to be mapped with greater accuracy than before.

We left Charchan on New Year's Eve of 1914 and did the desert journey to the
western border of the Lop district by seven long marches, mainly
Difficulties encoun- through the jungle belt along the left bank of the Charchan river, a
tered at Charkhlik. new route to me. ¹³ I had detached Muhammad Yakūb to follow the
Charchan-daryā down from Lashkar-Satma where we crossed to its right bank, and was
approaching Vāsh-shahrī, the first little Lop settlement, when I learned of the upheaval
which a band of Chinese 'revolutionaries', recte bandits, had created at Charkhlik, the head-
quarters of Lop. Tungan troops had suppressed the murderous outbreak by the time of my
arrival there, January 8, 1914; but its consequences greatly impeded the collection of the
supplies, transport and labour needed for the explorations I had planned during the next
three months in the desert between Lop and Tun-huang. ¹⁴ The six days' stay needed for
securing at least a portion of our requirements was hence an anxious time for me; but
fortunately it could be used also for profitable archæological work at two ancient sites to the
south of the little oasis.