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wells makes it possible to pass through it
direct from Kuchā to Ak-su by an old
but now little frequented track (B-D. 2).
South of the Tārim extends the dune-covered
Taklamakān, interrupted only by the delta

Astronomically observed latitude.
1913-15. Kök-yār, Kara-bāgh, C. 330 (Bēg's house; B. 1) ... ... 40° 49′ 13″

NOTES ON SHEET No. 13 (MAZĀR-TĀGH, KARA-DONG)

The surveys shown by this sheet are
confined to the terminal courses of the Kho-
tan and Keriya rivers passing through the
Taklamakān. The route along the former
was followed both on the second and third
expeditions, that along the latter on the
first and second. The former traverse, which
owing to its north-south direction was well
controlled by latitude observations, was ad-
justed in longitude to the positions accepted
for Khotan and the Tārim–Ak-su river junc-
tion (see Notes on Sheets No. 9, 12). The
Keriya river route, for which similarly
several observed latitudes could be used, has

Astronomically observed latitudes.
1900-61. Kara-dong, Camp III (N.W. corner of ancient fort; D. 3) ... 38° 32′ 39″
1906-08. Malghun, Camp 367 (A. 4) ... ... 38° 3′ 5″
Mazār-tāgh, Camp 369 (on left river bank, circ. 1/2 mile N.E. of
ruined fort, B. 4) ... ... ... 38° 27′ 12″
Ayak-üstang-aghzi, Camp 371 (B. 2), (by Polaris) ... 39° 0′ 1″
(by Sun's meridional altitude) ... 39° 0′ 4″

NOTES ON SHEET No. 14 (SAMPULA, CHĪRA, KERIYA)

This sheet comprises much varied and
interesting ground between the rivers of
Khotan and Keriya and extending from the
northernmost limit of ancient cultivation to
the snowy spurs of the main K'un-lun range.
It has been compiled from numerous surveys
on all three journeys, and is crossed in the
middle by the old caravan road which
connects the oases along the southern edge
of the Taklamakān. The exploration of a
large series of ancient sites now abandoned
to the desert accounts for the network of
surveys to the north of that road, while in
the south most of the routes were followed
in connection with the triangulation work
along the K'un-lun.

The numerous points fixed in the course
of this work and by Captain Deasy's triangu-
lation (see Appendix A), together with the
conspicuous G.T. Peak 3/60 D (Tikelik-tāgh),
furnished an adequate basis for both plane-
table work and cartographical construction

through which for a brief period of the year
the summer floods of the Khotan-daryā effect
their junction with the former. For changes
in this delta, cf. Serindia, iii. p. 1296;
Geograph. Journal, xlviii. p. 114.

been adjusted to the positions adopted for
Kuchā and Kochkar-öghil (see Notes on
Sheets 1), 17).

For descriptive accounts of the Khotan
river route, see Desert Cathay, ii. pp. 417
sqq., and of the Keriya river route, Ruins
of Khotan, pp. 405 sqq. Some observations
on the historical topography of the routes
are recorded in Ancient Khotan, i. pp. 449 sq.;
Serindia, iii. 1240 sq., 1291. As regards
the character and connection of the wind-
eroded hill range of which the Mazār-tāgh
on the Khotan river forms the easternmost
traceable remnant, see above pp. 20,23.

in the southern portion of the sheet. For
the main road from Khotan to Keriya, a
series of latitude observations were available,
while longitudes could be determined with
fair accuracy by interpolation of the results
of three separate plane-table traverses be-
tween the accepted position of Khotan and
that of Niya, fixed by triangulation (see
Notes on Sheet No. 19).

On the route leading northwards along
the Keriya river, the longitude of Kochkar-
öghil was derived from the concordant
results of interpolation between Keriya and
Kuchā and between Khotan and Domoko-
bāzār via Dandān-oilik. The routes along
the Yurung-kāsh and Kara-kāsh rivers are
adjusted, as in Sheet No. 13, to the longi-
tudes accepted for Khotan and the Tārim–
Ak-su river junction. The snow-line has
been conjecturally assumed at an elevation
of about 16,500 feet, in conformity with that
observed in Sheet No. 15.