EXCURSION TO THE MASAR-TAGH 455 
covered the ruins of former stone walls. The style of 
architecture was Mohammedan ; accordingly these archae- 
ological remains could not date back more than 1 1 50 
years. 
The storm still continued. About midday the .sun was 
darkened, as when a thunderstorm threatens ; sand and 
dust whirled along the ground, and rose in spinning 
columns into the air. Thinking discretion the better 
part of valour, we haistened to return to the rest-house at 
Char-bagh, and a disagreeable drive it was. Every breath 
we inhaled was charged with choking dust; even the horses 
in front of the arba disappeared from view every now and 
then, so that, when we reached our destination, we were 
absolutely smothered with dust. 
March ist. The storm subsided, and we had good 
weather for the return journey to Maral-bashi, where to 
my delight I found letters awaiting me from home. The 
po.st-jighit (courier) who brought them was a capable 
fellow, an old Sart from Osh in Fergana, whom 1 had 
seen before on the Murghab. I took him for the time 
being into my service. 
An old man of eighty, who heard that we were going 
to try and cross the Takla-makan Desert, came to my 
house, and told me, that in his youth he had known a man 
who, whilst going from Khotan to Ak-su, lost his way in 
the desert, and came to an ancient city, where he found 
innumerable pairs of Chinese shoes in the houses ; but 
directly he touched them, they crumbled to dust. Another 
man started out into the desert from Aksak-maral, and by 
pure chance stumbled upon a town, amid the ruins of 
which he unearthed a quantity of gold and silver jambaus 
(Chinese coins). He filled his pockets with them, as well 
as a sack he had with him. As he was going off with 
his booty, a pack of wild cats rushed out upon him and 
frightened him so much that he threw everything atvay, 
and took to flight ; when, some time afterwards, he plucked 
up courage to venture his luck a second time, he was un- 
able to find the place again. The mysterious town was 
completely swallowed up in the sand. 
