FROM KULJA TO KUMUL 471 



trast to the dusty plains across which our carts now 

 plied their way, and giving rest to the eyes from the 

 aching yet fascinating deserts which, in long, flat sweeps, 

 broken by occasional escarpments, extend southwards 

 into the unknown. 



There were many, indeed, far too many, matters to 

 occupy our thoughts, and to stimulate our ambitions 

 as we drew near to our goal. In a wayside village we 

 found the tomb of some long-dead Chanto, decorated, as 

 is the custom, with the horns of wild-game, such as wapiti, 

 ibex, and wild-sheep ; the proportions of some of these 

 horns gave Miller hopes of finding ampler and hitherto 

 unknown hunting-grounds in the ranges to the north. A 

 few days later, too, when the highest summits of the 

 Karlik Tagh hove into view, and I drew the first lines 

 across my plane-table on to its virgin peaks, we felt a 

 considerable satisfaction in having accomplished the long 

 winter journey of 800 miles, and we pressed forward 

 eagerly towards the dark line of vegetation that shim- 

 mered in the dusty desert ahead of us and indicated the 

 position of Kumul. 



