TAKSAN TO KORLA 169 



way there is a serai and well. We were told that 

 the said well was 250 feet deep, and it certainly 

 looked it, but, in spite of its depth, it was nearly 

 dry, and often fails entirely. The man in charge 

 then goes to the hills for snow, which must have a 

 considerable pecuniary value by the time he gets 

 back with it. At last Ushak Kul came in sight ; 

 the little lake from which it takes its name has 

 ceased to exist, or, at all events, has become so 

 small as to be imperceptible ; but there were green 

 fields and trees and a stream of clear water most 

 refreshing to behold. Poor Gujad, the dog, died 

 to-day, I suppose from heat, though he was travel- 

 ling in a cart. 



Next day, after crossing a small stretch of desert, 

 we passed two or three hamlets and then got into 

 jungle. Tah-wul-gai is a small village surrounded 

 by forest and swamp. There was a fair breeze 

 when we were there, but even with that the mos-' 

 quitoes were bad enough, and the people said that 

 in still weather they were terrible. How the natives 

 endure them at all I don't know. These insects 

 formed one great topic of conversation for ourselves 

 and our men. On arriving at a place the first 

 question asked was usually, "Are they bad here?" 

 In most cases the answer was in the affirmative, 

 and was fully borne out by our experience. The 

 Turki word for mosquito is pacha, and may possibly 

 be taken to mean that they are big people, from 



