THE ISFAIRAN VALLEY 103 
'lo conception of the real object of my journey. Never- 
theless he willingly left his peaceful home in Osh, to share 
with me all the clangers and perils of a protracted journey 
through the heart of Asia. We travelled side by side 
through the terrible Desert of Gobi, facing its sand-storms 
hi company and nearly perishing of thirst ; and when my 
other attendants fell by the side of the track, overcome by 
the hardships of the journey, Islam Bai with unselfish 
devotion stuck to my maps and drawings, and thus was 
instrumental in saving what I so highly prized. When we 
scaled the snowy precipices, he was always in the van, 
leading the way. He guided the caravan with a sure hand 
through the foaming torrents of the Pamirs. He kept 
faithful and vigilant watch when the Panguts threatened 
to molest us. In a word, the services this man rendered 
me were incalculable. But for him, I can truthfully say, 
that my journey would not have had such a fortunate 
termination as it had. It gratifies me to be able to add, 
that King Oscar of Sweden graciously honoured him with 
3 - gold medal, which Islam Bai now wears with no small 
degree of pride. 
I left behind at Margelan a quantity of stores and 
equipments for which I had no further need, including the 
venerable Orenburg tarantass, which I had hitherto used, 
o.nd my European trunks. In place of these last I bought 
some Sart yakhtmts, that is, a kind of wooden box, covered 
with leather, and so constructed that they could be con- 
veniently slung on horseback like a pair of panniers. I 
purchased the needful saddles, furs, and Pamir boots made 
of felt and untanned leather, and laid in a stock of extra 
provisions. I also took with me tw'o steel spades to dig 
out the snow with when putting up the tent ; and ice-axes 
and pickaxes to help us up the steep Ice-coated precipices. 
Ydien we crossed over the frozen lake of Kara-kul, I 
intended taking soundings, and for this purpose provided 
niyself with a new hempen cord, 500 yards long, with ten- 
yard lengths knotted off, and a sinker at the end. The 
plane-table stand was so constructed that, with the addi- 
tion of a Caucasian burkha (cloak or mantle), it could be 
