300 
THROUGH ASIA 
Su-bashi, with its river also forming a delta, and its 
marshes and innumerable miniature lakes laced like beads 
on a mat. 
“ In the west also there was a grand panorama. The 
bright surface of Little Kara-kul, lying between the 
massive mountain-chains, immediately underneath our 
feet, appeared quite small in comparison with their over- 
whelming masses. Its light green surface contrasted 
forcibly with its own dark green grassy shores, and with 
the grey mountain-walls broken here and there by moraine 
deposits. Sometimes the grass trenched a little upon 
the lake ; but it was nowhere broad, except on the 
southern shore. The light fleecy clouds were reflected 
in the water, as their shadows glided over it. The 
turbid yellow flood of the Su-bashi, which debouched 
on the south, wound through the lake like a dirty ribbon. 
Immediately in front of us, near the west shore, there 
was a little island, the only one in the Kara-kul, if we 
except a few small green plots which have become 
detached from the grassy southern shore. On the other 
side of the lake the Sarik-kol chain faded away towards 
the north and west. 
“The northern shore of Little Kara-kul was a moraine- 
wall, a continuation of that already described ; that is 
the reason why the outline of that shore was so very 
irregular. The moraine was intersected by a stream 
which issued from the lake, which was also conspicuous 
from its green grassy banks; farther down it united with 
the Ike-bel-su. In the north-west, beyond the Kara-kul, 
we could see the two basins of Bassyk-kul. 
“About midday we were again overtaken by a storm 
of rain and hail, but continued our way till we were 
sent home by really bad weather. I now felt that I 
had pretty well taken my bearings ; I had my programme 
clear, and knew how and on what plan the mountain 
should be attacked. 
“ Every evening after dark I held a /ev^e in my tent. 
The Kirghiz came from far and near, and always brought 
with them welcome gifts of sheep, partridges, new bread. 
