FROM KULJA TO KUMUL 451 



on account of the presence of food and water, and 

 which, m the event of an opening up of Northern 

 MongoHa, would become a well-used track. 



The first part of the route is the same as that which 

 connects Urga with Pekin ; this part will shortly be 

 superseded by a railway. In Mid-Gobi, half-way to 

 Urga, the track branches off towards the north-west, 

 passes along the northern edge of the Gobi, and skirts 

 the lower and most easterly spurs of the Mongolian 

 Altai. Water, draining from these ranges, flows out and 

 eventually loses itself in the Gobi, and the caravans must 

 keep in touch with them. A more northerly line may 

 be taken, to include Uliassutai and Kobdo, in which case 

 ample fodder and water will be found ; but the crossing of 

 the eastern part of the Mongolian Altai necessitates an 

 ascent to 8,000 ft. above sea-level ; caravans, therefore, 

 more frequently take the direct route leading to Guchen. 



Guchen is now the terminus, for it appears to have 

 superseded the town of Barkul, which lies a hundred and 

 seventy miles to the east, and was formerly the old 

 ** port " for steppe-bound caravans. According to the 

 Russian maps, the trans-Gobi route leads from the 

 Southern Altai to Barkul and thence to Guchen ; there 

 is no signification on them of any track leading direct to 

 Guchen without touching at Barkul, yet this track exists, 

 and though for ten days' journey there are no habitations, 

 it is a well-worn road over hard steppe, and is staged by 

 guard-houses. 



In winter, when food is scarce along the high-road 

 between Guchen and Barkul, and when snow forms a 

 water-supply on the desert to the north, the caravans 

 may well take a bee-line from Guchen to the southern 

 spurs of the Altai ; but in summer they must needs 



