522 THE KARLIK TAGH 



while below, the plateau swept down at a gentle grade 

 until it ended in a low, rough, rocky girdle which, in some 

 degree, corresponded to the sandstone foot-hills of the 

 southern side. In this plateau the rivers had carved deep 

 gorges, and in travelling westwards we found it necessary' 

 to keep as high up as possible, for lower down the gorges 

 deepened to terrific cafions. 



By moving slowly along the plateau, and keeping 

 close below the shale slopes, we were able to map the 

 rivers to their sources and to overlook the countr^' 

 below, as far as the point where the same rivers ran 

 dry in the desert. The principal features of the north 

 side were the gorges which intersected the plateau. 

 We crossed seven of these, which drained northwards 

 to Uturuk ; there all united and formed a single 

 channel, leading out into the plain. On these streams 

 were situated the only settlements, Urge, Uturuk, Adak, 

 and Nom, — all larger villages than those on the south ; 

 Uturuk alone was said to possess a hundred houses. 



The topography of the country was plain, and map- 

 ping was easy work, as compared with the riddles of the 

 southern side. Ascents, too, were more easily accom- 

 plished, and it did not take long to run the survey west- 

 wards to Tur Kul. Of special interest were the little glaciers 

 which lay at the head of nearly every valley. They 

 were no larger than those on the south of the range ; 

 even the wide valleys leading from the highest peaks 

 did not hold glaciers exceeding two miles in length, but 

 they showed traces of old moraines five miles below their 

 present position. 



The plateau was uninhabited at that season, it being 

 still subject to cold winds and snow-storms ; later on, 

 the herdsmen drive their flocks up and tent there all 



