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 -
| 0196 |
Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
it half-swamped by an excess of irrigation such as this thirsty
soil is, no doubt, in periodical need of. But the raised
avenues between the cross rows of poplars were above the
water and at one point left room enough for my tent. So the
pleasure of being among trees and green hedges overcame all
sanitary scruples, and when the camels arrived by nightfall
I felt quite pleased with my new quarters. The moonlight
glittered brilliantly on the water-logged ditches and fields,
and around ruled a delightful silence, a foretaste of the desert
that lay so near.
On the following morning I started with quite an imposing
cavalcade for the ancient site. A mile to the east of my
camp all cultivation ceased, and a little further all trace of
vegetation disappeared. At a distance of about two miles
the low ridges of hard-baked loess were covered with frag-
ments of old pottery, glass, and slag, unmistakable evidence
of ancient habitations. But no other indications remain of
the buildings; the walls of mud or sunburnt bricks of which
they must have been constructed, have long ago disappeared,
mainly, as subsequent experience showed me, through the
erosive action of wind and sand. The people know this
rained waste by the name of Hasa-Tam, and suppose it to
have once been the capital of a 'Chinese Khakan' until
'Hazrat Sultan,' i.e., Satok Boghra Khan, destroyed it.
In the middle of the pottery-strewn area, where the ground
is slightly raised, I found a tent pitched by the Hsien-kuan's
order and a fresh Dastarkhan spread. But it was too early
to indulge in such comforts, and the hopes of my guides for a
continuation of yesterday's picnic series were doomed to
disappointment. The view from the rising ground displayed
to the south nothing but a desert plain hidden on the horizon
by an ominous dust haze. But to the east and north I could
make out a few mounds rising high above the low banks of
loess and sand. Sop Niaz Baba, the fine-looking old Aksakal
of Beshkarim, who knew the neighbourhood well, spoke of
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
42
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
52
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
62
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
72
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
82
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
92
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
102
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
112
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
122
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
132
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
142
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
152
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
162
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
172
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
182
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
192
.
194
195
196
197
198
.
.
.
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.
