THE KARLIK TAGH 503 



find ample room for cultivation on the middle course of 

 the river, between the sandstone and the main range. 

 The rivers invariably pass through this sandstone ridge 

 in deep-cut, impassable ravines, the lower valle^-s rarely 

 giving access to the upper. This rendered travelling ex- 

 ceedingly laborious, it being necessary to make big detours 

 in order to reach the mountain villages situated at the 

 back of the foot-hills. 



We returned to Kumul by the way we had come, and 

 set about making the final arrangements for our move 

 eastwards. By command of the Khan, men and horses 

 were provided for us, and such orders were given as 

 would enable us to travel at our pleasure, and see the 

 whole of his territory. An old Kumulik Beg, a gentleman 

 of most courtly manners, was especially deputed to 

 accompany us and to arrange all our affairs whilst travel- 

 ling within the Khanate. Relays of horses were to take 

 us from place to place, wherever our work led us, whilst 

 our heavy baggage could go by cart along the plain, at 

 the foot of the mountain. Lodgings were to be prepared 

 for us at the villages and food supplied, and injunctions 

 were given that, as we were travelling under the Khan's 

 orders, no remuneration should be demanded of us. It 

 was only by a careful and secret distribution of presents 

 to those who had been called upon to supply food, 

 lodging, or transport, that we were able to accept, with 

 a clear conscience, the hospitality of the mountaineers 

 of Karlik Tagh. In this manner we traversed the whole 

 of the Karlik Tagh until leaving the territor)^ of the Khan 

 at Barkul. 



We finally left Kumul on March 15th, and travelled 

 eastwards to Ta-shar, a village which proved to be another 

 example of the admirable use the Kumuliks make of good 



