1853.] Travels in Central Asia. 291 



called Ooz, belonging to a Shooly chief ; met 3 Hindus, Suniyassis 

 who had been on a pilgrimage to a volcano in Khirghiz ! They had 

 left Hindustan, by Kashmir and Baltistan, through Grilgit, and the 

 Oordoo pass. 



About five miles from Ooz is a chasm about 50 feet long, out of 

 which smoke is continually emitted, sometimes white sometimes dark ; 

 edges of chasm lined with sulphur and bitumen : can't make out the 

 rock, lava ? or basalt ? Traces of silver, — gold washed from debris 

 and sand of rock — copper, especially in some of the Geths, where the 

 water is nauseating — galena and tin ? (with doubt), also found in 

 some parts. 



August 1st. — A long march to Shoh, a small fort at bottom of a 

 deep ravine or pass which it commanded — chief's name Manussa. 

 Proceeded to see the ruins of the city along a ravine 500 yards, 

 and then through a narrow chasm to a sort of natural gateway, and 

 entered the ancient city. An amphitheatre of rock surrounded a 

 small round verdant vale. The cliffs of immense height almost per- 

 pendicular, and crowned with fantastic needle-shaped pinnacles, while 

 the caves were excavated in ledges or tiers above one another. They 

 returned through a natural arch 90 feet high, 25 broad and gradually 

 narrowing to 3 or 4, and ending in a chasm by which they returned 

 — so narrow, that they could scarcely squeeze their way through. 



The Shoolies' hospitality consisted in forcing enormous quantities 

 of melted butter on their guests. 



2nd. — Revisits the city of Shoh in detail ; returns by the narrow 

 fissure — an arid way, the Eastern end is ornamented with rude sculp- 

 tures to about 15 feet high. The cave was about 60 yards long due 

 E. and W. ; the "Western entrance 40 feet high by H or 2 wide. 



In front of the gate is a chiselled platform 6 feet high, 20 square. 



This leads to a closed amphitheatre which is described as a mile 

 in diameter, the bounding rocks 1500 feet high, and the mountains 

 encircling them 3 or 4000, having a chasm of 3 or 4 miles. 



The centre is a green mossy oval of about 300 yards broad, sur- 

 rounded by excavations, — circular or square caves, — outside of which 

 are peristyles, arcades and columns in eighteen different ranges ; — the 

 columns very irregular, varying from fifteen to eighty feet in height. 

 Erom the lofty mountains, fell innumerable cascades down into 



