504 THE KARLIK TAGH 



soil, Ij'ing within play of a river as it issues from the 

 sandstone range and before it sinks into the ground. Ta- 

 shar was a tiny hamlet, but seemed to be able to supply 

 all that we needed : — a warm, clean, and comfortable 

 lodging, excellent Chanto food, and pleasant people to deal 

 with. The following day we sent our heav^^ baggage on to 

 Khotun-tam by the plain, whilst Miller and I, escorted by 

 our friend and guide — the Beg, made a detour and worked 

 our way round by a mountain-track. Ta-shar was 

 situated at the end of the Bardash River, which came 

 out from a sandstone gorge a few miles above, a foaming, 

 laughing, racing stream, watering on its way the famous 

 orchards and gardens which surround Ara-tam, the summer 

 residence of the Khan. 



From Ta-shar we picked our way over a boulder- 

 strewn fan, where the hardy cultivators had endeavoured 

 to make their fields, and presently found ourselves 

 wandering amongst the luxuriant growth of the Khan's 

 gardens. Gigantic poplars towered above the groves of 

 walnut, apple, peach, and apricot -trees ; under these, 

 running brooks, bordered by dense scrub, tumbled 

 their way over the steep descent to the plain. It was 

 an approach as charming as if laid out by Nature herself, 

 our chief regret being that the trees were not yet in leaf. 

 The Khan's country-house lay close under the sandstone 

 ridge, half hidden by fine old trees. Here we rested and 

 drank tea provided by the caretakers, before exploring 

 the ruins which, although in a much dilapidated con- 

 dition, still remain. The cellas, the remains of seated 

 Buddhas carved out of the rock, and the frescoes have 

 been described by Stein, who placed them as belong- 

 ing to the time of the Uigur dominion, i.e. between 

 the ninth and twelfth centuries. Great destruction, due 



