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 -
| 0658 |
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
On April 20th I started from Mazar-tagh down the dry
bed of the Khotan River for Ak-su. During the eight rapid
marches which carried us north to the river's junction with
the Tarim we suffered a good deal from the increasing heat
of the desert and a succession of sand-storms. Such condi-
tions made me realize with full intensity the experiences of
Hedin on his first disastrous crossing of the Taklamakan
in May of 1896. Kasim, who had met him afterwards
during his enforced rest at the shepherd camp of Böksam,
was able to show me the pool of fresh water, some twenty
miles lower down on the right bank, which had proved the
great traveller's saving when he struggled through from the
'sea of sand' exhausted by thirst. The constancy of these
pools, found at considerable intervals along that side of
the river bed where the current sets, and the delicious
freshness of their water, furnish proof that there must be
a steady flow of subsoil water making its way down the
bed of the river, often over a mile wide, even at the driest
season.
Lower down we passed for days through a network
of old and new river beds where Kasim's guidance was
welcome. Yet, when my thoughts went back to that
terrible dried-up delta of the Keriya River, our route here,
with plentiful water and grazing at the end of each hot
day's march, seemed quite a luxurious line of progress. The
only incident of the journey was provided by a tiger which
prowled round our camp the night before we reached the
Tarim, evidently on the look-out for a pony or donkey.
'Dash,' otherwise the soundest of sleepers, awakened me
420
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
43
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
53
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
67
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
78
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
89
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
100
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
110
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
120
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
131
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
142
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
155
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
166
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
178
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
188
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
199
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
210
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
220
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
231
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
245
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
256
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
268
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
279
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
293
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
308
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
319
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
332
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
345
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
359
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
370
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
382
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
395
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
407
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
419
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
431
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
453
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
465
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
478
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
491
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
505
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
518
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
529
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
540
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
553
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
567
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
581
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
594
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
605
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
617
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
629
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
642
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
655
657
658
659
661
.
|
.
.
.
.
670
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
683
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
696
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
709
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
723
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
736
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
749
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
760
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
771
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
783
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
793
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
803
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
813
814
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
