THE ISFAIRAN VALLEY 
99 
conversations together about the Pamirs, the outcome of 
which was, that I conceived the idea of crossing that 
region on my way to Kashgar. But no sooner did I 
mention my purpose than, almost with one accord, well 
nigh every voice was raised to dissuade me from it. The 
officers who had taken part in Colonel Yonnoff’s recon- 
naissance across the Pamirs prophesied, that I should have 
a dangerous journey, and advised me to wait two or three 
months longer. One of these gentlemen, a captain, who 
had spent the previous winter on the Murghab, earnestly 
represented, that 1 should be exposing myself to the 
greatest possible dangers, and running a grave risk from 
the severities of the winter climate. Nobody, he said, 
not even a native of the Far North, could form any 
conception of the intensity of the cold and the fury of 
the snowstorms which rag'e on the Pamirs in the depth 
of winter. Even in the middle of summer, during a 
snow-buran (hurricane), the thermometer frequently drops 
to 14° Fahr. (- 10° C.). In the winter of 1892-93 the 
temperature fell to-45°4 Iffihr. (-43° C.) in the end of 
January, and snowstorms were an everyday occurrence. 
1 hese burans or snow-hurricanes come on with startling 
suddenness. One minute the sky will be perfectly clear ; 
scarcely one minute later, and down swoops the storm. 
an instant the path is obliterated. The atmosphere 
grows dark with whirling snow-flakes. It is impossible 
to see a yard before you. All you can do is to stand 
perfectly still, wrap your furs about you, and thank God 
fl you escape with your life. 
One piece of advice the captain insisted upon above all 
olse ; that I should never on any account separate myself 
from my caravan during the march. If at such a moment 
tt buran were to sweep down upon me, I should be hope- 
essly lost. It would be Impossible to get back to my 
oliowers, even though they were no more than a dozen 
paces away. The air becomes thick and black with 
inding flakes. Nothing can be seen — nothing; you 
^ve hard work to see even the horse you ride. To 
•shout is useless. Not a sound can be heard, not even 
