THE KARLIK TAGH 511 



village situated in a boulder-strewn locality at the foot 

 of the mountains, where our main caravan awaited us. 

 Khotun-tam marked the end of the sandstone foot-hills 

 and the limit of the plateau-like summit of the main 

 range. Above this village the Karlik Tagh lifted up its 

 knife-like and deeply serrated main ridge, and deep-cut 

 valleys gave a direct approach to the highlands from 

 the plain. The spurs of the range retreated, the 

 distance between the desert plain and the alpine region 

 shortened, and the marked contrasts of the scenery 

 were intensified. 



The absence of the border-range and the shortness 

 of the valleys allowed the Taghliks to live in their 

 villages on the plains, and at the same time to make 

 what use they could of the highlands to which the 

 valleys gave easy access. Thus the eastern Karlik Tagh 

 was portioned off between the various villages lying on 

 the high smooth plain at the foot of the mountains. 

 Khotun-tam, for instance, monopolized the two valleys 

 to its north ; Ulu-tai had its own valley ; the Koshmak 

 valley was used in summer by the Chinese farmers from 

 Tashbulak — a village some miles away to the south, 

 while the Little Koshmak belonged to the inhabitants 

 of Shopoli. 



Khotun-tam, although at the foot of the real hill- 

 country, had an altitude of over 5,500 ft. Beyond was 

 a high, smooth plain which swept away to the south- 

 east, never dropping much below 4,000 ft., and finally 

 merging into higher country. Much water rendered a 

 large area suitable for cultivation ; in fact, a string of 

 farms and small fields extended all the way east to Tash- 

 bulak. In this zone the population concentrated, and, 

 consequently, we found the mountains quite deserted. 

 II— 13 



