AKSU TO SHATTA, IN TEKKES 53 



snipe, but he escaped us. There were literally 

 swarms of hares here and also at Khailik, the next 

 day's halting-place, on the road to which we passed 

 a very good serai. Khailik is by hypsometer 7,670 

 feet, so we were beginning to go up at last. There 

 was very good grass on a small flat by the river, 

 but not much in the way of trees, the willows and 

 poplars being small and scrubby. 



Hitherto the going had been very good ; where it 

 otherwise would have been bad there was a made 

 road, an unexpected luxury ; but the next march 

 showed a falling off in this respect. As a rule, in 

 Central Asia a road is merely a track, and as long 

 as it is practicable for baggage animals no attempt 

 is made to improve it ; but in places where it is 

 absolutely necessary to make a way they usually do 

 it fairly well. We began the next day's march by 

 crossing the river by a deep and very intricate ford, 

 which a very little more water must make altogether 

 impassable ; further up, however, there is a boat for 

 use in case of need. After this, for more than half 

 the march, the path twists in and out among heaps 

 of rocky debris fallen from the mountain-side. At 

 about six miles the river divides, the road going up 

 the eastern branch. Finally, there was another bad 

 ford at Tangotash, 8,500 feet, which is only about 

 half a mile from the glacier foot, from which a big 

 stream comes, while another comes from the north- 

 west, the two joining just below here. Here are a 



