A Hazardous Venture. 



veiling ranges, whence we had to coast along the far side down 

 into the valley. 



In response to my request a Beg had arrived with an authority 

 written in Turkish and Chinese to arrange transport on the road 

 and assist me in any way I might require. The regular route to 

 Yarkand lies through Tashkurghan, a fortified post in Chinese 

 territory, thence east by a beaten track. I, however, determined 

 to proceed by the Yarkand River and Kulan Urgu Valley to 

 Yarkand, over a route never previously followed in its entirety. 

 The Yarkand River and the country bordering on the Raskum 

 Daria has been only partly explored, and not much information 

 has yet been forthcoming as to its geography. I decided to 

 move via the Hi Su Pass and down the gorge of the latter river 

 to its junction with the Yarkand, thence to proceed as circum- 

 stances might dictate. 



I knew I should experience the utmost difficulty in forcing a 

 way through the tremendous canyons of the Hi Su and the 

 Yarkand River, and that the many passes to be crossed would 

 present obstacles beside which those I had already encountered 

 on the march from India would pale into insignificance. 



Although near the end of May it was yet too early to tackle 

 high passes on the Pamirs, the snow not having melted in 

 sufficient quantities to render them practicable without con- 

 siderable danger. 



The Kirghiz on the Taghdumbash side declared I should 

 never succeed in getting over the Hi Su Pass, and generally 

 were very pessimistic on the subject of the venture. They 

 knew nothing whatever about the country beyond, so I could 

 gather no useful information as to the route and the amount 

 of water in the ravine. Like all natives, however, though they 

 had never been there they described the road in anything but 

 rosy terms, one individual declaring by an admirable demon- 

 stration with his grimy paws that the track was that much 

 wide, indicating a space of some 9 inches in width, adding 

 much water was therein only waiting to claim us for its own. 



83 G 2 



