LAKE KARA-KUL 
159 
through the ice, for it was pretty nearly three feet thick. 
The ice was hard and transparent, and brittle as glass. 
The last stroke of the iron bar made a hole through which 
the water gushed and boiled up till it filled the pit we had 
made in the ice to within an inch or two of the top. It 
was clear as crystal, but of a gre.enish-black colour, and 
bitter to the taste. We let down the sounding-cord, which 
was divided off into lengths of ten yards. But very little 
more than the first length passed my hands. With the 
help of the measuring-tape I found that the lake had a 
depth of nearly 41I feet. The temperature of the water 
was 3i°3 Fahr. ( — o°4 C.) in the hole, and 2g°8 Fahr. 
it 
MAKING A SOUNDING-HOLE IN LAKE KAEA-KUL 
(i°2 C.) at the bottom of the lake. As soon as we had 
finished the hole, which was nearly four feet across, the 
ice began to crack in every direction all around with loud 
reports, whilst a series of curious sounds issued from 
underneath it in quick succession. 
We went on another two and a half miles, and made 
another sounding-hole. Then we struck across the ice 
towards the little island I have mentioned, hewing a third 
hole on the way. We landed beside a narrow creek, and 
rode across the island, till we found a suitable camping- 
ground. The Kirghiz said, the island had never before 
been visited by human beings. We pitched the small 
yurt (tent) we had brought with us, and immediately in 
