232 KASHGAR TO THE KARAART PAMIR. 



the Kirghiz, and without which I should have 

 been at a loss for supplies. 



Once out of the defile, we were on the Pamirs 

 again : here I came on a Kirghiz camp, and had 

 some conversation with the Malik, telling him it 

 was my intention to go to the Alichur Pamir for 

 poli. He assured me it would be a very difficult 

 journey, for the passes on the high range which 

 lay between were still blocked with snow ; " but," 

 he continued, " as you are only going for sport, 

 why not go on to Karaart, where there is plenty 

 of goolja ? The road is quite simple, and no 

 passes to cross." This proposition was worthy 

 of consideration, as, after 'all, there might be 

 nothing to shoot there, while sport of some sort 

 would be to be had on the Karaart ; so I told him 

 that I would take his advice if he could find me 

 a guide. He immediately offered to come himself 

 the first part of the way, and for the remainder it 

 would be easy to procure another from one of the 

 Kirghiz camps. 



Having settled this matter, we turned our 

 faces northward, and ascended the Uluart valley 

 on the left bank of the river, along the base of 

 the Tagherma Mustagh range. On the opposite 

 side, to the westward, another range divided 



