SAIRAM NOR 



619 



APPENDIX B 



THE ANCIENT STRANDS AND BARRIERS OF SAIRAM NOR 



Sairam Nor is a lake-basin situated in the mountains to the 

 north of Kulja, at an altitude of 5,900 ft. above sea-level. The 

 mountain-wall surrounding the basin is complete, except at a 

 narrow opening on the east, between the Kanjik ridge on the 

 north and the Kuz-imchik on the south, through which, it appears, 

 that the basin once drained to the Ebi Nor basin on the Dzungarian 

 plains below. At the eastern end of the Sairam Nor basin, there 



^y^CIEJiJ^T STRANDS AND BARRTEHS 0:F SAIRAM TVOR 



statute Miles 

 o 



are signs that the level of the lake was once much higher than 

 it is at the present day, and that in all probability the area 

 was transformed into a lake-basin, at no very distant date, by 

 the formation of skrees from the Kanjik and Kuz-imchik ridges, 

 which raised a barrier and enclosed the drainage. The distance 

 between the eastern edge of the lake and the barrier is about 

 five miles ; the whole of this area was once occupied by the 

 lake, as proved by the succession of shingle-banks which remain, 

 showing where once the strong west winds heaped up those 



