50 JOURNEY TO THE PAMIRS. 



work of ravines and ridges as far as we could 

 see. The Tiznaf valley was not far off, and 

 the Kugiaris had declared there was a path some- 

 where, if we could only find it ; so we determined 

 to ascend a spur and stick to it until we came 

 across a track. By good luck, after climbing a 

 bit, we found the welcome path, and having 

 dragged the ponies up with some difficulty, we 

 went on, determined not to leave until we reached 

 the place to which it led. It was getting dusk by 

 the time we left the hill, and got on to what 

 appeared to be a flat, stony, barren valley, where 

 we could hear a river, but could not see it. When 

 we left the last ridge the path turned sharp to the 

 east, our course over the ridge having been gen- 

 erally north, and so far as we could see there were 

 no signs of cultivation or habitation. We could 

 make out two or three beasts, evidently laden 

 with burtsa (fuel), ahead of us on the path, so we 

 concluded that a village was not far off. On 

 catching them up, the driver told us that if we 

 kept the road we should be at Tiznaf very shortly. 

 At last we got to the edge of a pretty high cliff, 

 and there, like the Israelites of old, we saw the 

 promised land at our feet. The river had cut its 

 way in this valley, forming a fertile bottom about 



