AN EARTHLY PARADISE 
517 
hard, dry clay, cracked in thousands of directions, plainly 
proving that it was under water during the summer. We 
kept close to the shore of the lake all along, until it began 
to narrow, and we were compelled to make detours round 
the marshes which extended some distance from it. From 
the southern end of the lake several long narrow creeks 
stretched out like fingers into the gradually rising ground. 
It is worthy of remark, that all these desert lakes were 
situated at the foot of the mountains. 
At leng-th we reached the eastern shore of the lake 
by a long roundabout way, and there pitched our camp. 
Believing that this was the last place in which we were 
likely to obtain fresh water, we gave up the following 
day, 22nd April, to rest. The camels and sheep were 
given their last good meal off the reeds which grew beside 
the lake. I climbed to the top of the mountain, and 
therefrom gained a commanding view of the surrounding 
country. The mountain itself jutted out in a south- 
easterly direction like a cape into the desert ocean, and 
only showed one solitary peak of no great altitude. 
Except for the range on which I stood, there was not 
a glimpse of a hill to be seen. We had reached the south- 
eastern extremity of the Masar-tagh of Maral-bashi ; 
consequently it had no connection with the Masar-tagh 
of the Khotan-daria. To the south-east, south, and south- 
west, as far as eye could reach, there was nothing but 
the dreary desert ocean ! The horizon on that side was 
a straight line. When, during the days that followed, 
we went on and on towards the east-south-east and east 
without discerning a single trace of a mountain-chain, I 
could not help thinking, that the continuation of the 
Masar-tagh of Maral-bashi would crop out again further 
on in the desert, and that we had left it on our right ; 
and yet again that was hardly likely. 
Before the day came to an end, we took counsel 
together. Yollchi assured me, that the Khotan-daria was 
only four days distant to the east. The best Russian 
maps I had made the distance about 78 miles, and at 
the rate of about 12^ miles a day we should reach the 
