DOWN THE KERIYA-DARIA 
817 
the Khotan-daria and those beside the Keriya-daria were 
thus in the habit of visiting the place occasionally ; yet 
they had never met each other! For this reason the 
former did not know of the existence of the Keriya-daria ; 
neither had the latter ever heard of the Khotan-daria. 
Both alike called the place by the same name, and for the 
same reason, the contrast between the black patches of 
tamarisks and the yellow sand, a proof that geographical 
SUBSTRUCTURE OF A HOUSE 
In the second ancient town of the desert west of the Keriya-daria 
nomenclature even in that remote and isolated region is 
not meaningless. 
Having examined the ruins of Kara-clung, we returned 
to the Keriya-daria, and continued our journey. As we 
advanced, the river became more irregular, and shed off, 
as it were, a number of side-arms, which formed marshes. 
Near Tonkuz-basste it divided into two branches, which 
lower down, towards the north, gradually diverged. The 
shepherds told me, that seven or eight years ago the 
current flowed almost entirely through the right or eastern 
branch, but subsequently returned to the left branch. 
