i8o CHINESE TURKESTAN 



this day began to turn more in a southerly direction, 

 the last three miles of the twenty accomplished 

 being nearly due south, and along another water- 

 course, which at this time of the year should have 

 been filled from the Tarim River ; but the summer 

 flood was late, and it was nearly dry, though the 

 pool we camped by was fresh and clean at least, 

 in comparison with the stuff we had lately had to 

 drink. 



During the next evening and night a long march 

 of twenty-six miles to the south, with a slight 

 easterly tendency at times, took us to the banks of 

 the Tarim River, where we arrived at dawn, and 

 pitched camp by the ferry. We passed a big 

 swamp or lake away to the west of our line of 

 march. I had started rather early, and ridden On 

 in front, doing ten miles or so before it got too 

 dark to see. 



On the 26th we were favoured with a buran, or 

 sandstorm, which greatly delayed our passage of 

 the river ; in fact, at one time it blew so hard that 

 the ferry-boat could not be got across at all. The 

 boat was a small one, only taking four ponies at a 

 time, and as the crossing was more than 200 yards 

 wide, it took us till late in the evening to get every- 

 thing over. Luckily the river was still low ; if it 

 had been at its full summer width, it would probably 

 have taken us most of another day as well. 



Next day, after seventeen miles we reached and 



