Across the Roof of the; World. 



The country to the west is open and resembles an immense 

 rolling plain, and hills to the southward constitute its hmit in 

 this direction. I marched across the plain encountering occa- 

 sional encampments of nomads who came to stare at the stranger 

 from the unknown, and satisfy their unbounded curiosity as to 

 what we could be. I forded a small stream en route, a branch 

 of the Emil River, which was not quite frozen over, the central 

 portion, where the current was swift, being clear of ice. 



Six miles further on I crossed the Emil River itself, here 

 about 30 yards broad and with a moderate current, the depth of 

 the water reaching to the horses' knees. This river rises in the 

 Tarbagatai range to the north-east of Chuguchak, and flows 

 westward through Chinese territory to Lake Sassik Kul, into 

 which it empties its waters, a total distance of about 170 miles. 



On the north side of the Emil River is situated a small hamlet 

 called Setar, now in ruins and long since deserted, the causes of 

 which I endeavoured to ascertain but could gather no information 

 on the subject. Just beyond the ruins I met some herdsmen 

 driving in flocks of sheep and cattle to their auls for the night, 

 and they told me of the existence of another village further on 

 which could be reached by nightfall. I therefore pushed on, 

 despatching Rasul ahead with one of the Kalmuks to secure 

 a suitable house in the village and prepare it for us. 



It was freezing hard and very cold work riding, so when 

 5 o'clock brought pitch darkness, and no sign of house or aul, I 

 began to think we should never reach there at all. We, how- 

 ever, struggled on, shouting at intervals in the hope of getting 

 a response to indicate the presence of habitations. We continued 

 on till half-past seven, and then heard distant shouts in reply 

 to our own stentorian calls. Presently Rasul loomed up in 

 the darkness and piloted us to a Chinese hut in which he had 

 secured a small room and another for cooking in, or rather sharing 

 the same kitchen with the inmates. Mine had a stove in it and 

 a stack of dried cowdung in one corner so there was no lack of 

 fuel. The owner of the hut was a Chinaman who evidently 



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