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0028 Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 / Page 28 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000213
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traces of archæological indications rapidly gathered in
course of that first day entertained me that the ruins I
passed, and those to be expected in continuation
wards, belonged to an early system of frontier defence
corresponding in character to the famous 'Great Wall' on
the living border. That I should have to return to these
grounds for thorough exploration as soon as men and animals had
recovered from their fatigues by a short rest at Tun-hwang
was quite clear to me. Yet no chances of getting more
of the exact details of the old Limes were to be foregone
in the meantime.

It was the morning of March 9th, 1907, while the animals
were allowed to enjoy grazing a little longer and the men
were busy at last over packing, I returned last night's remains
and came again upon the line of the wall. It was running
in a direction of north, and to run straight down to right
angles to the shore of the small lake near the end of which
lay our camp. I was able to trace the layers of clay and
tamarisk interspersed with soil as in look quasi-petrified
for about twenty-five yards or less of the wall-construction
from above. The level of the latter lay only four or
five feet below the exposed base of the wall was on
the further shoreline. The extent of local destruction
along the wall was both could not have been great here,
and it still more interesting to note how the ruins had
been utilized as a substitute for the arrange wall-shoreline
during the fire. It was evident that those who were
responsible and thus to save building labour.
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