3o8 
THROUGH ASIA 
“ Our hosts told us, that they spend the summer only at 
Keng-shevar; in the winter, this part being exposed to 
wind and snow, they move on to the Shuveshteh kishlaks 
(winter villages), which are situated farther up and are 
more sheltered from wind and weather. 
“The Ike-bel-su presented quite a different appearance 
seen from this little tent-village to what it had at the outlet 
of the Kara-kul stream, being 200 feet broad and the 
velocity about three feet in the second. At the only place 
where it was possible to ford it, we let a Kirghiz ride over, 
and found that the maximum depth amounted to 3I feet, 
but the bed was tolerably level and did not vary much. 
The volume was 2440 cubic feet in the second, which is 
remarkable for a river chiefly fed by glaciers. The water 
was said to be lowest about four o’clock in the afternoon ; 
but it rises towards the evening, as the glacial streams, 
which do not reach the river before that time, then give 
up their tribute. There were several low islets in the 
river, more or less grass-grown, of which one divided it 
into two arms. In winter the bed is dry or has, at most, a 
few narrow rivulets of frozen water; but by the beginning of 
August the stream falls so considerably that it is possible to 
ride over it at several points without danger. A little way 
below the aul a projecting spur of the moraine forces the 
river to make a sharp bend to the right. The result of 
this is a little lake-like basin, into which the water eddies ; 
after that it continues its way in a deep wide channel, 
breaking throuo;h the moraine-wall with a roar that can be 
heard at some distance. 
“ Opposite Keng-shevar, on the other bank, there was 
an aul with seven yurts. As its inhabitants pastured their 
sheep during the day on the left bank, the animals had all 
to be brought back across the stream in the evening, and 
it was very amusing to see what a difficult business it 
was. A number of men on horseback took each a couple 
of sheep across their saddles and rode in a long string 
through the river ; but, as there were many sheep, it took 
a considerable time before the whole flock was safely 
landed on the other side. 
