TO FORT PAMIR AND BACK 387 
a trench or dyke, about sixteen feet deep and fifty to 
seventy feet across, with the bottom encumbered with 
gravel, sand, and earth, which had gradually fallen into 
it. Both edges were continuous and maintained the 
same uniform level. Now the moraine showed a decided 
subsidence at the point where the earthquake fissure 
penetrated beneath it. The Kirghiz told me, that the 
fissure was caused by a violent earthquake eighteen 
years ago (fie. 1876), when Yakub Beg was still alive. 
It affected Tagharma, Tur-bulung, and the whole of the 
west side of the Mus-tagh-ata, but was not felt at either 
Su-bashi or Kara-tash-davan. The lateral moraine had 
thus undergone no change for fully eighteen years. The 
fact that the earthquake was not felt at Su-bashi, only 
two hours distant, shows that it was probably a tectonic 
or fundamental shock of purely local extent. How far 
it affected the glaciers, the Kirghiz were unable to tell 
me. On the surface of the glacier itself there was 
naturally no trace of any subsidence, since any rift that 
might be made would necessarily soon be filled up. It 
would, however, have furnished an ideal opportunity for 
the investigation of the thickness of the ice and its 
inner structure. Earthquakes are not relatively frequent 
in the vicinity of the Mus-tagh-ata ; slight shocks only 
being felt from every third to every fifth year. 
When I left Kashgar in June, it was my intention to 
remain only two months in the neighbourhood of the 
Mus-tagh-ata. But I had rather under-calculated the time 
I .should require, so that, when the two months expired, 
only half my work was done, and I had no provisions 
left. I was compelled therefore to travel to Fort Pamir 
to procure a fresh supply. As, however, I knew that the 
Chinese were watching me, and almost looked upon me 
as a spy, and as I did not wish to fan their suspicions 
unnecessarily, 1 resolved to cross the frontier during the 
night through an unguarded pass, and return subsequently 
in the same manner, without their having any idea of 
the excursion. I only took with me two of the Kirghiz, 
and my ever faithful Islam Bai ; the rest were dismissed. 
