CHAPTER LXX. 
THE LOP-NOR PROBLEM 
I N Korla we augmented the caravan by two fresh 
horses, replenished our commissariat - boxes, and 
engaged two excellent guides, who led us to Tikkenlik, 
a small village situated on the lower Koncheh-daria, at 
the point of confluence of two branches or bifurcating 
arms from the Tarim. From Korla to that village there 
were three routes. One followed the Koncheh-daria, the 
second skirted the mountains Kurruk-tagh (the Dry 
Mountains), and the third traversed the stony, sandy 
desert between the mountains and the river. The first 
was already sufficiently well known. Of the others 1 
chose the third, and in the course of the journey dis- 
covered two ancient Chinese fortresses, and a long string 
of potais (“mile-posts”), that is, lofty pyramids of wood 
and clay, measuring the distance of the road in Chinese 
li (li = 485 yards). 
This latter discovery was one of unusual interest. It 
demonstrated that in former times an important highway 
ran between Korla and — well, what place ? The highway, 
which bore to the south-east, ends at the present time in 
a sandy desert. Now in this same latitude of 40° 30' N. 
the Chinese maps placed the ancient Lop-nor ; and, as 1 
shall have occasion to show further on in my account of 
this very interesting journey, the Chinese maps were right. 
The ancient highway I have just mentioned led there- 
fore, there can be little doubt, to the former Lop-nor, 
and was abandoned after the lake became dried up in 
consequence of occurrences which I shall point out lower 
down. But that this highway formed an important link 
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