620 APPENDIX 



barriers, in the same way as they are doing on a minor scale at 

 the present day. 



Along the eastern edge of the lake these barriers are in 

 actual process of formation. As will be seen by the diagram, 

 there are two completely formed shingle-banks enclosing lagoons 

 and a third one not so completely formed. In the course of time 

 the lagoons will dry up and more shingle-banks will be left 

 high and dry on the shore. An almost imperceptible rise leads 

 to another very large, crescent-shaped bank ; beyond this are 

 two small banks, and then another large one ; farther still, at 

 a longer interval, is the last bank before arriving at the actual 

 barrier of skrees, which is the watershed between the lake- 

 basin of Sairam Nor and the valley draining to Ebi Nor, 



All the banks conform to the shape which the eastern end 

 of the lake must have had when the water-level stood at that of 

 a given bank ; this is especially noticeable at the oldest or most 

 easterly one. The banks are, of course, now covered with soil 

 and support the scanty steppe-flora such as is found round the 

 edge of the basin. No lagoons or shingle-banks were seen in 

 any other part of the lake. 



The prevailing wind is from the west, the Sairam Nor plateau 

 having a reputation for winds of extraordinary violence. These, 

 when concentrated in the narrow neck formed by the Kanjik 

 and Kuz-imchik ridges, have their strength intensified, and the 

 gradual heaping up of shingle-banks takes no great time. A 

 proof of the strength of the winds was given us when we passed 

 along the southern edge of the lake in the month of January, 

 for we noticed that its frozen surface was so covered with gravel 

 and grit blown on to the ice that it was brown instead of white. 

 All this was gradually being swept up towards the eastern end, 

 and no doubt eventually went to add to the accumulation of 

 material which is being slowly banked up there. 



The precipitation of rain in summer and snow in winter is 

 considerable, and the area which drains, into the lake would be 

 sufficient to cause an overflow, were it not for the fact that the 

 drainage seems to be exhausted by the surrounding country, 

 before it reaches the lake. It is noteworthy that there are no 

 streams entering the lake above ground, neither did there appear 



