National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Evidence
of earlier
agricultural
settlement.

Finds yielding chronological evidence could not be expected in such graves, and for the collec-
tion of anthropological measurements on the bodies here buried neither time nor the requisite labour
was obtainable. Yet, even without more definite evidence as to date, there was antiquarian and
geographical interest in the discovery of these remains ; for it was safe to conclude from them that at
a period not very remote, when the Charchan River followed a more southerly course (perhaps the one
marked by the line of marshes which our route was skirting), a settlement at least partly agricultural
had been able to maintain itself here for a time under physical conditions probably resembling those
about Tatran. Now, with the shift of the river northward and the probable progress of desiccation
in the meantime, the adjoining ground had undergone a dismal change. Extensive stretches of soil
we had to cross close to the remains of the old settlement were found encrusted with hard cakes of salt,
and salinity proved so prevalent everywhere as to preclude any thought of renewed occupation.

Wells of
Yaka-
toghrak and
Chingelik.

On November 28, the sixth day after leaving Charchan, our route finally diverged from the
river near the deserted station of Lashkar-satma, and, striking south-eastwards across a belt of high
and sterile dunes, brought us to the desert halting-place called Yaka-toghrak (see Map No. 50. D. 2).
Its well of brackish water proved unfit for human consumption, and this probably is the case also
with water obtained by digging at the patch of desert vegetation lying close to it on the east and
known as Chingelik. The physical conditions are such that the nearest route from Lop-nör and
Charkhlik to the Charchan River must always have followed this line. Hence, having regard to
what we shall presently prove as to the old localities further east on this route, I consider it
quite safe to identify the wells of Yaka-toghrak and Chingelik with the 'wells Tê-lei' 特 勒 井
which the itinerary of the T'ang Annals mentions on the way to the Chü-mo (Charchan) river from
Hsin-ch'êng 新 城 ('the New Town'), which is also called the town of Nu-chih 駑 支.

Vâsh-shahri
Site identi-
fied with
'New Town'
of T'ang
itinerary.

That Hsin-ch'êng must correspond to the present small oasis of Vâsh-shahri, or rather to the
ruined site crossed by the Charkhlik-Charchan route some six miles west of it, is made quite clear
by the distances and bearings recorded in the T'ang itinerary, and has been correctly recognized by
Dr. Herrmann.⁵ The itinerary tells us that '300 li to the south of the sea P'u-ch'ang (or Lop-nör) is
the garrison of Shih-ch'êng 石 城, "the Stone Town", which is the same as the Lou-lan kingdom of
Han times and is also called Shan-shan. This is the place where K'ang Yen-tien was commissioner of
the garrison, and in this quality entered into communication with the Western Countries. 200 li
further to the west one arrives at Hsin-ch'êng, "the New Town", which is also called the town of Nu-
chih; it was constructed by (K'ang) Yen-tien.⁵ᵃ Further to the west, one passes the wells of Tê-lei
(the wells of the Tegin); one crosses the river Chü-mo, and after 500 li one arrives at the garrison of
Po-hsien which is the ancient town of Chü-mo.' It has been seen above that the terminal point
of the route to the west can be located with absolute certainty at Charchan. It is equally certain
that the 'Stone Town' of T'ang times, then the chief place of Shan-shan or the ancient Lou-lan from
which the route starts, is represented by the present oasis of Charkhlik.⁶ The western bearing and
the distance of 200 li given thence to the 'New Town' take us exactly to the ruined site of Vâsh-
shahri, which, as Maps Nos. 53, 57 show, lies close on 50 miles by measured road distance to the
west-south-west of Charkhlik.

Ruined site
of Vâsh-
shahri.

I halted some four miles further west, close to the point where the Keriya and Charkhlik
district borders are supposed to meet. Then on November 29 I surveyed at leisure the débris-
strewn area which marks the position of the earlier settlement, with the help of guides and labourers