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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Turfān basin with special interest, as briefly
mentioned above (p. 48) is the great depth
below sea-level to which it descends in its
lowest portion around the Aidin-köl marsh.
It may hence be specially noted that the
heights or depressions recorded in the map
for the following places are derived from
observations made with a mercurial barometer:
Kara-khōja, Camp 242 (house of Bēg,
near N.E. corner of ruined town; C. 3),
−110 ft.
Kara-khōja, Camp 242 (in Bāzār; C. 3),
−140 ft.
Yār-mahalla, Camp 243 (house of Rus-
sian Ak-sakāl; C. 3), 250 ft.
Sai-kārēz, Deghar, Camp 275 (D. 3),
−630 ft.
Tuz-kan, Camp 276 (near east end of
dry lake-shore; D. 3),−940 ft.
Plane-table station, N.W. of Camp 276
(on dry lake-shore; D. 3),−980 ft.
Camp 277, (on edge of gravel Sai;
C. 3),−860 ft.
Fixing S.W. of Camp 277 (on gravel
Sai; C. 3),−720 ft.
Camp 279, N. of Bējān-tura (by bed
of dry stream; C. 3),−780 ft.
Bējān-tura, Camp 282 (foot of ruined
tower; C. 3),−910 ft.
Turfān, Yangi-shahr, Camp 280 (C. 3),
−80 ft.
The approximate datum-line and con-
tours below sea-level, at approximate inter-
vals of 250 feet, have been shown by broken
lines of greyish-green.
Other heights shown in this sheet are
mostly derived from aneroid observations,
checked in the case of those taken in 1914-
15 by R. B. Lāl Singh with reference to
readings at mercurial barometer stations.
The assumed snow-line was fixed at a
level of 12,500 feet with regard to the condi-
tions observed on crossing the pass above
Pa-no-p'a (B.1) on October 23, 1914.
As already observed above in Chap. I
(p. 35) the Turfān basin reproduces on a

Astronomically observed latitudes.
1906-08. Chong-hassār, Camp 267 (north of central keep of ruined fort; D. 3) 42° 39′ 7″
Turfān, Yangi-shahr, Camp 274 (S.E. quarter of Chinese town; C. 3) 42° 55′ 39″
1913-15. Ku-ch'ēng-tzu (Guchen), Camp 235 (Nōgai trader's house in N.E.
quarter of city; 28. C. 1) ... ... ... 44° 2′ 3″
Kara-khōja, Camp 242 (Zāwat Bēg's house, N.E. of ruined town;
C. 3) ... ... ... 42° 51′ 13″
Yār-mahalla, Turfān, Camp 243 (Russian Ak-sakāl's house, 1¼
miles N.W. of Kōna-shahr; C. 3) ... ... ... 42° 57′ 59″

small scale most of the physical features
characteristic of the different zones of the
Tārim basin. Thus below the rugged
T'ien-shan main range in the north, rising
with part of its crest above the snow-
line, we find a wide and utterly barren
gravel glacis (B-D. 2). The underground
drainage, caught by means of kārēzes at its
foot and at that of a low but rugged outer
hill-range which traverses the basin from
east to west, supplies most of the irrigation
for the richly cultivated tracts scattered
north and south of that transverse hill-range.
Between and below these cases extends
a belt of scrub-covered and for the most part
sandy ground right down to the long-stretch-
ed narrow lake-bed, mostly dry and salt-
encrusted, which occupies the deepest part
of the basin. This descends near the eastern
end of the lake-bed to a level close on 1000
feet below sea-level. To the east of these
rises a dune-covered expanse, the Kum-tāgh,
like a miniature Taklamakān. In the south
there lies the ascent, over a gravel glacis and
a succession of arid plateaus, to the northern-
most of the Kuruk-tāgh ranges.
The northern end of the sheet shows the
slopes of the T'ien-shan which descend,
forest-clothed at elevations from about 6000
to 9000 feet and receiving ample water,
towards the plateaus and open plains of
Dzungaria. Extensive cultivation dependent
on rainfall only is found on these northern
slopes, evidence of the great climatic divide
formed by the T'ien-shan range.
The historical importance of the Turfān
depression, especially during the early Tur-
kish (Uigur) domination, is attested by a
large number of ruins within or close to
the cultivated tracts. For a brief account of
the visits paid to these in 1907, see Desert
Cathay, ii. pp. 353 sqq.; Serindia, iii. pp.
1159 sqq. A short summary of my pro-
longed labours in the district during 1914-
15 is given in Geograph. Journal, 1916, xlviii.
pp. 202 sqq.