OVER THE TENGHIZ-BAI PASS 127 
off all right. The only incident was one of the commis- 
sariat horses plunging down a steep snow-slide, and rolling 
into the torrent. But we followed him down, unloaded 
him, hauled up the yakhtans with a rope, re-loaded the 
animal, and then ploughed slowly on through the snow- 
drifts till another horse stumbled and fell. 
At mid-day it began to snow. A thick mist came on, 
hiding everything from view, and preventing us from seeing 
where we were going to. One of the Kirghiz went on 
first and sounded the depth of the snow with a long staff, as 
OUR CA.MP AT .DARAUT-KURGAN 
sailors do when naviratinof unfamiliar waters. But there 
was this difference ; whereas sailors aim to avoid the 
shtillows, we sought for them, and for the firm ground 
underneath them. Several times our guide dropped out of 
sight altogether in the snow, and had to crawl out, and try 
again in another place. 
The glen we were following emerged into the valley of 
the Alai near the spot where Khodiar, the last independent 
Khan of Kokand, had built the fort of Daraut-kurgan, a 
building with low clay walls, and a tower at one corner. 
Another hour’s travelling brought us to the Kirghiz aul 
