THE FORESTS OF THE TARIM 849 
tobacco were rapidly running to an end. But necessity 
knows no law. I had Przhevalsky’s map of the Lop-nor 
by heart ; and moreover 1 intended to make a thorough 
topographical examination of the entire neighbourhood. 
.'\s for the want of a passport, I must endeavour to keep 
out of the way of any Chinese mandarins who would be 
likely to ask me for my credentials. The clothing 
difficulty could be easily overcome ; we could make light 
summer suits for ourselves in Korla. In the same towm 
we bought skin boots in the bazaar. I got some paper, 
though of wretched quality, in Shah-yar ; nevertheless 
it did not impair the accuracy of my sketches. Kok-chai 
or green tea was to be had everywhere ; and if the worst 
came to the worst, I could make shift with smoking 
Chinese tobacco in a nargileh or water - pipe, although 
the Chinese mix with the “ weed ” an evil-smelling oil 
and clay dust from a certain hill in China, under the idea 
that they thereby add piquancy to the “smoke.” Islam 
Bai managed to procure fresh supplies of wheat, rice, 
bread, eggs, and sugar. The camels’ pack-saddles w'ere 
mended. Then, after a two-days’ rest in Shah-yar, we 
were fit and ready for a new venture. 
But first a few words about Shah-yar. The little town 
derives its water-supply from the Tian-shan Mountains. 
A short distance north of it the river Musart-daria (the 
River of the Ice-Pass), which flows to the south-east, divides 
into two branches ; one of them enters the lake of Pasnlng- 
koll (the Lake in the Depression), whilst the other passes 
within a short distance of the town, and contributes its 
water through several ariks (irrigation -canals). At the 
bifurcation there Is a dam, which holds up the water in the 
lake during the summer and thus tends to prevent inunda- 
tions ; but when the w'ater is low, the dam is left open, and 
the water then serves the towm, its villages, and cultivated 
fields. Shah-yar (the King’s Terrace) is ruled over by a 
beg, two min-bashis, and several yuz-bashis. The first 
mentioned, Temir Beg (the Iron Chieftain), was displeased 
because I had not a passport ; he tried to prevent me from 
advancing further, and forbade his people to show me the 
