UP THE ALAI VALLEY 
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the foot of the Alai, as far from the Trans- Alai as it could 
get. Our path lay close alongside the right bank of the 
stream, which boiled along at torrential speed in a sort 
of narrow canon, now forcing its way between mounds 
of red sand, now cutting a deep trench through the 
conglomerate strata. 
Then we gradually worked away from the Kizil-su. 
The further we advanced towards the east, the deeper 
lay the snow. The track was entirely blotted out by the 
latest storm, and the snowdrifts were so thick that all 
THE KlZIL-SU 
day long four camels went on in front to trample down 
a path, or rather a furrow, through them, along which 
the horses toiled at a painfully slow and heavy pace. 
The wind continued to sweep down on us in furious gusts, 
frequently smothering the whole caravan in dense clouds 
of driving snow. 
At length we came to the little brook of Kashka-su, 
on the other side of which was the aul of the same name. 
To get to it, we had to ride over the torrent on a bridge 
of ice and snow. There we found awaiting us a most 
comfortable yurt (tent). Not only were Kirghiz carpets 
spread on the ground, they were also hung round the 
