National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0066 |
Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
with deep snowdrifts, below which all trace of the road dis-
appeared. Heavy clouds hung around, and keeping off the
rays of the sun let the snow remain fairly hard. Soon, how-
ever, it began to snow, and the icy wind which swept the
ridge made me and my men push eagerly forward to the
shelter offered by a Dak runners' hut. The storm cleared
before long, but it sufficed to show how well deserved is the
bad repute which the Tragbal (11,900 feet above the sea)
enjoys among Kashmirian passes.
For the descent from the pass I was induced by the
'Markobans' owning the ponies to utilise the winter route
which leads steeply down into a narrow snow-filled nullah.
Though the ponies slid a good deal in the soft snow of the
slope, we did not encounter much difficulty until we got to the
bottom of the gorge. Here the snow bridges over the stream
which flows from this valley towards the Kishanganga had
begun to give way, and the high banks of snow on either side
were in many places uncomfortably narrow. At last our
progress was stopped at a point where the stream had washed
away the whole of the snow vault. To take the laden
animals along the slatey and precipitous side of the gorge,
which was free from snow, proved impracticable. To return
to the top of the gorge, and thence follow the proper road
which descends in long zigzags along a side spur, would have
cost hours. So the council of my 'Markobans,' hardy hill-
men, half Kashmiri, half Dard, decided to try the narrow
ledge of snow which remained standing on the right bank of
the stream. The first animal, though held and supported by
three men, slipped and rolled into the stream, and with it
Sadak Akhun, who vainly attempted to stem its fall. Fortu-
nately neither man nor pony got hurt, and as the load was
also picked out of the water the attempt was resumed with
additional care. Making a kind of path with stones placed
at the worst points, we managed to get the animals across
one by one. But it was not without considerable anxiety for
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
42
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
52
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
62
.
64
65
66
67
68
.
.
.
72
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
82
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
92
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
102
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
112
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
122
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
132
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
142
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
152
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
162
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
172
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
182
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
192
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
202
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
212
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
222
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
232
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
242
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
252
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
262
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
272
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
282
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
292
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
302
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
312
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
322
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
332
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
342
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
352
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
362
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
372
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
382
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
392
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
402
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
412
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
422
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
432
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
452
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
462
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
472
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
482
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
492
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
502
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
512
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
522
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
532
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
542
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
552
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
563
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
573
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
582
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
