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0638 Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 / Page 638 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000213
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The ground we had passed through had its own fascination,
and survey work on it offered considerable geographical
interest. Yet I was glad when, after a day's much-needed
rest, I could by February 19th, 1908, resume archaeological
labour at the Kara-dong site, which the river by its latest
change has again approached after long centuries.

On my first visit in March 1901, a succession of sand-
storms prevented a complete examination of the site. The
shifting of dunes had since laid bare a number of small
ruined dwellings (Figs. 290, 291), then deeply buried be-
neath the sand, half-a-mile or so to the south of the large
quadrangle previously explored (Fig. 289). The excavation
of them, now effected with the help of my Shahyar men
and a small contingent raised from among the shepherds,
furnished definite evidence that a small agricultural settle-
ment, and not merely a frontier guard-post, had existed here
far away in the desert at some period during the early
centuries of our era.

Since none of the shepherds and hunters we got hold
of knew anything of old remains farther down, I decided
to move up the river in order to meet as early as possible
the party of my old 'treasure-seeking' guides from Khotan
whom, by an arrangement effected with Mr. Macartney's
kind help via Kashgar, I had ordered up before starting
from Kuchar. By February 25th I had the satisfaction
of seeing this concentration across a vast space of desert
duly achieved; for on this day a dozen familiar Khotan
'Taklamakanchis,' under the direction of Roze, old Turdi's
quondam acolyte, joined me near my old camping-ground at

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