2o8 
THROUGH ASIA 
therefore been looked forward to with not a little appre- 
hension. But when the Kirghiz saw me ride up alone, 
accompanied by only a small band of their fellow-believers, 
their fears quickly subsided, and they gave me a very 
friendly welcome. All the same, they lost no time in 
sending off a mounted messenger to Jan Darin, com- 
mandant of the little Chinese fort of Bulun-kul. 
The next morning therefore I was not surprised to see 
the emissaries of the Chinese officer ride up, bringing 
greetings of welcome. They were also charged to find 
out who I was, and what was my business. The head 
of the “ embassy ” was one Osman Beg of Taghdumbash, 
a fine-looking Kirghiz, with a handsome, intelligent counte- 
nance. He commanded a lanza or troop at Bulun-kul. 
His companions were Yar Mohammed Beg, chief of the 
frontier-guard stationed at Kiyak-bash, and a mollah or 
priest. All three wore white turbans and parti-coloured 
khalats (long Kirghiz coats). Their mission accom- 
plished, they rode back to Bukin - kul, to make their 
report. . . 
The aul (tent -village) was situated near the junction 
of the Chuggatai and Ak-berdi valleys. At that point 
the stream has cut its way to a great depth into the 
thick conglomerate strata, so that the huge boulders 
of coarse crystalline rock, which overhung the current, 
threatened every moment to topple down the precipitous 
banks into the river. The valley of Ak-berdi^ was^ also 
eroded to a great depth, and was obstructed with blocks 
of conglomerate. Consequently, agreeably to what I have 
said above, the chain of Sarik-kol forms the boundary 
line between two widely differing areas of physical con- 
formation. On the inner side it is flanked by a region 
of Central depression, with broad, shallow, level valleys, 
possessing no drainage outlet towards the ocean. On 
its outer side, that is towards the east, it overlooks a 
Peripheral region, where the valleys are deep and narrow, 
and the effects of the erosive action of the outward flowing 
streams assume grandiose proportions. 
On the 13th April we made only a very short stage. 
