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Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan : vol.1 |
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human feet. Whether their assertion was true, or whether
the formidable ravine ahead would yet yield us an opening,
was a question that only the morrow's exploration could
answer.
On the 27th of October a day's hard climbing among the
rocks, shingle, and boulders of the Yurung-kash gorge verified
the Taghliks' prediction. As soon as the sun had fairly risen
over the great mountain walls to the east I started with Ram
Singh, Tila Bai, the most active of my people, and three hill-
men from Omsha. Foreseeing that we should have to cross the
river in the course of our reconnaissance, I had three of the
biggest yaks taken along. At first we followed the steep hill-
side above the right bank where our camp was pitched, as its
height promised a better view of the ground ahead. We had
made our way for about a mile and a half onwards when all
further progress was barred by a ravine descending from a
great height and flanked by wholly unscaleable rocks. The
view I had before me was wild in the extreme. I could now
clearly make out the walls of frowning cliffs which, broken
only by almost equally precipitous shoots of rock and shingle,
lined the foot of the great spurs falling off to the river.
The passage left for the river seemed nowhere more
than 200 feet wide, and at places considerably less. The
volume of water reduced by the autumn now filled only one-
half to three-fourths of this space. But the beds of huge
boulders seen along the actual channel were not continuous,
but alternately on the left and right bank. Where the river
flowed with light green colour over boulders and ledges, we
might hope to effect a crossing. But where it whirled round
the foot of sheer cliffs the water showed a colour of intense
blue, and was manifestly far deeper. Yet it was clear that
our only hope lay in being able to follow up the river-bed.
To descend to it was no easy matter from where we stood.
But after marching back for half a mile we found a practicable
slope and managed to scramble down to the edge of the water.
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