30 SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 



PART V. 

 ALTYN-ARTYSH.. 



[From the Records of the Geological Survey of India, Vol. VIII, p. 13.] 



UNDER the personal guidance of the Envoy, we Dr. Bellew, Captain Chapman, Captain 

 Trotter, and myself left Yangishahr on the 14th of Eehruary, reaching Altyn-Artysh at a 

 late hour the same day. A halt of two days was desirable to enable us to make all necessary 

 arrangements for our further movements. However, before I proceed, I shall endeavour to 

 give the reader an idea of the geographical position and limits of the country, of which I shall 

 speak in the subsequent lines. 



The data are derived from a general survey by Captain Trotter, and from information 

 given by the Hakim Mahomed Khoja. 



Altyn-Artysh, which is the chief place of the province, lies approximately about 23 

 miles north by east of Yangishahr. It is situated in the western part of the Yilak 1 on 

 the Bogoz, here called Artysh river, and north of a low ridge which separates the Artysh 

 valley from the plains. The southern boundary runs along this ridge for about 10 miles 

 west of Altyn-Artysh, and from there almost due north to the crest of the Koktan range ; 

 then along this range eastwards of the Belauti pass, and from thence in a south-western 

 direction to the village of Kushtignak, some 15 miles north of Faizabad. From here the 

 southern boundary runs close to the right bank of the Kashghar river, until almost 

 opposite to where the Artysh river runs into the plains. 



During the first four days we all marched in company up the valley of the Bogoz river 

 to the fort Tongitar, about 23 miles to the north by west ; then to a Kirghiz camp, Bashsogon, 

 in a north-easterly direction ; Tughamati almost eastern, and Ayok-sogon in a south-eastern 

 direction ; the directions being from the last camps respectively. 



At Ayok-sogon Captain Trotter and I separated from the rest of the party, and marched 

 northwards along the Ushturfan road to Jaitapa, and from thence across the Jigda Jilga 

 in a north-east by east (?) direction to the camp at Uibulak, crossing the Uibulak pass, passing 

 a second jilga, and turning then for almost 9 miles more northwards to the Belauti 

 pass, beyond which lies the valley of the Kakshal or Aksai river. On our return we passed 

 Ayok-sogon, Karawal, about a mile from our former camp of the same name, and visited 

 Kulti-ailak and Faizabad, returning to Yangishahr on the 3rd of March. 



It was not a very favourable time for travelling in these regions, not so much on account 

 of the cold, as in consequence of the heavy falls of snow which appear to occur over the 

 whole of the Thian Shan during the second half of February and first half of March. During 

 the last few days of February we were almost constantly wading in fresh-fallen snow, though 

 on the saline plains it melted very rapidly. The snow naturally interfered seriously with our 

 observations. 



1 Yilak, or Ailak, is the summer, Kishlak the winter, residence. Amongst the pastoral wandering tribes of Central Asia, it is 

 the practice to drive all the animals to higher elevations for pasture in summer, and to bring them to lower ground when the 

 upland pastures are covered with snow. The terms mentioned are used by the Turk tribes. 



