THE START FROM MERKET 489 
eastern portion of the range does not exceed miles in 
breadth, and rises to a height of some 500 feet above the 
surrounding country. It consists of two parallel ridges, 
strikingly dissimilar. The southern ridge is composed of 
red argillaceous slates, interspersed with numerous beds of 
gypsum. The other, or northern, ridge is a homogeneous 
mass of white alabaster. Flints are obtained from the 
Masar-tagh at a distance of sixteen miles from the Khotan- 
daria, and taken to Khotan to be sold. Beyond that 
point we lost sight of the mountains, which became 
blended with the sandy desert. But they bent round 
towards the north-west, and, increasing in height in the 
middle, stretched, the natives told me, as far as the forti- 
fied post of Maral-bashi on the river of Kashgar. Of 
vegetation there was not a trace. The slopes of the 
mountains were buried in drift- sand, half-way up from 
the foot.” 
Relying upon the data thus given him by the natives, 
Przhevalsky indicated on his map a chain of mountains 
stretching at an oblique angle across the desert. His 
mistake was natural enough ; for he was told, that at 
Maral-bashi too there is a mountain known by the name 
of Masar-tagh ; and what more natural than to suppose, 
that it was simply the continuation of the Masar-tagh of 
the Khotan-daria ? Carey was more cautious. His map 
shows only so much of the range as he was able to see 
from the river. 
I reasoned therefore that, if from Merket we steered 
our course eastwards, or rather towards the east-north- 
east, we were bound, sooner or later, to come in contact 
with the Masar-tagh ; and, like the natives, I was con- 
vinced, that we should find a lee side to the range, where 
the drift-sand would not be blown together, but we should 
be able to make long, easy day’s-marches on firm ground, 
and possibly might even discover springs and vegetation, 
and perchance light upon traces of an ancient civilization. 
On the maps which I had at hand the distance through 
the desert as the crow flies measured 180 miles; and if 
we did only twelve miles a day, the entire journey ought 
