CHAPTER VII. 
THE SYR-DARIA 
B ut before I leave Fergana and set forth on the 
adventurous winter journey across the Pamirs, I 
will give a short summary of my survey of the Syr-daria 
river. 
The first series of soundings, which I made on November 
25th 1893 at Kazalinsk, gave a volume of 20,000 cubic 
feet in the second ; the depth of the river varied between 
bj ft. anci 10 ft. ; the average depth being 8 ft., and the 
average velocity 2 ft. 6 in. in the second. The temperature 
of the water was 3i°3 Fahr. (o“4C.). The air was quite 
still, and the observations were made from a boat at six 
points in a direct line across the river, the boat being 
anchored for each sounding and measurement. 
Two months later, on January 27th 1894, I made a 
similar series of observations at Khojent. The temperature 
of the air at 1.30 p.m. was 26°8 Fahr. ( — 2°g C.). A slight 
wind was blowing from the east, and in the water the 
thermometer showed 32°9 Fahr. (o°5 C.). Along the 
right bank there was a thin sheet of ice nine or ten yards 
wide ; under the left a belt eighteen yards in width ; both 
had formed in the shelter of the bridge. Above and below 
this there was no ice to be seen, except a few small flakes 
drifting on the water, which was much clearer here than at 
Kazalinsk. Thanks to the bridge, which was 574 ft. in 
length, of which 144 ft. were over dry land, it was easy 
to get the width of the river, namely 430 ft. The 
observations were made, like those at Kazalinsk, at six 
points from a boat, which was kept in position sixty-five 
yards below the bridge by a rope. The depth was 
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