LITTLE KARA-KUL LAKE 
301 
fresh yak’s milk and cream ; in return for which they 
received money, pieces of cloth, caps, knives, etc., which 
I had brought from Tashkend for the purpose. In a 
short time we had a whole circle of friends, and felt quite 
at home in the place. During our later excursions, we 
never passed an aul without going into one of the yurts, 
and we were always pretty sure to find one or two old 
acquaintances. Our chief friend and protector, however, 
was Togdasin Beg, who often came to see us, and pro- 
cured everything for us that we wanted, such as yaks, 
horses, tents, and the like. 
“The whole day on July i6th there was a thick fog. 
In the morning the lake presented a curious sight, as 
the mist completely hid the farther shore from view, and 
we seemed to be standing on the brink of a boundless 
sea. 
“ I bade a couple of my Kirghiz undress and wade out 
into the shallow water, to collect some of the algae which 
grew along the shore. Yolldash was also carried out, and 
given a thorough and much-needed bath. The water was 
not so cold but it could be used for bathing purposes. At 
one o’clock it was 63°7 Fahr. (i7°6 C.), but it cooled off 
considerably during the night. At seven in the morn- 
ing of the same day it was 53°2 Fahr. {ii°8 C.). On 
clear days the water soon became warm in the shallow 
places, though naturally only the upper layers. By mid- 
day on July :6th, for example, the radiation rose to 
i 38°2 Fahr. (59° C.), although the atmosphere was not 
clear ; but at the depth of four inches the water was only 
82°4 Fahr. (28° C.), which shows how impervious even 
such a thin layer of water is to the direct heat of the sun. 
“We made an excursion to the confluence of the Kara- 
kul stream with the Ike-bel-su. At the north end of the 
lake we found a large semicircular creek, or bay. It was 
shallow, and grassy near the shore, although the moraine 
came down to within 50 or 100 yards of it. Near the 
mouth of the river the grass was broader and more luxu- 
riant ; but the mosquitoes sw'armed over it in thick 
clouds, by no means enhancing our comfort. 
