754 
THROUGH ASIA 
On January nth I made an excursion to the village 
of Kalta-kumat (Short Sand), situated 2^ potais (6^ miles) 
north-east of the town. To reach it I had to ford the 
river Yurun-kash and pass through the town of the same 
name, which is only a quarter of an hour from Ilchi. On 
the other side of Tam-aghil (the Stone Village) the desert 
bepfan, with occasional sand-dunes and ravines left behind 
by the stream. After that the ground became excessively 
stony, and I soon perceived we were riding along an old 
river-bed. It could not have been made by any other 
stream than the Yurun-kash, which some time or other 
must have flowed there, and in opposition to the general 
tendency of the rivers in those regions, has since shifted 
its course to the west. 
This disused river-bed is one of the places that yield 
the largest supplies of jade. Everywhere the ground was 
cut up by trenches six or seven feet deep, a few feet broad, 
and at most thirty feet long, although varying somewhat 
as regards size according to the amount of work done 
in them. The material w'hich is thrown up out of the 
trenches consists of round polished stones, sand, and clay. 
It is among these stones that the jade is found. Very 
often a couple of months or more will pass without any- 
thing being discovered ; then all of a sudden, in the course 
of a few days, the digger becomes relatively rich, or at 
any rate does a very good stroke of business. The prices 
of jade vary very much, according to the colour of the 
stone, and its purity and freedom from flaws. Yellow 
or white pieces, with reddish-brown marks, are considered 
rare ; also a roughness on the surface called (flesh) 
increases the value. The plain green jade, on the other 
hand, does not fetch much. Two beautiful pieces were 
offered me for too and 140 sdhr {£() and £12 lOj-.) 
respectively ; but the low state of my funds did not 
permit me to purchase them. 
A little village of wooden and clay huts has grown up 
on the spot, and is supplied with water by a special arik. 
The ground is divided into clearly marked lots, so that 
each mining claim has its owner ; thus obviating disputes 
