968 
THROUGH ASIA 
nowhere cropped out, though there were several low hills 
of gravel and sand. Immediately in front of us w'as an 
insignificant crest, on the left a spur of the Astun (Altyn)- 
tagh, and on the right another low range. The surface 
was so soft and loose that the horses sank in over the 
fetlocks, and so level that, had It not been for the small dry 
rain-channels, it would have been difficult to tell in which 
direction it sloped. To make it worse for the animals, it 
was damp from the snow. Then on the east came a series 
of level tablelands, backed by mountain-ridges in the far 
distance. 
The watercourses all inclined towards the west, until w'e 
came to a little lake about two hundred yards in diameter, 
probably one of the sources of the Kara-muran, though 
for the time being it was cut off from all connection with 
it. But the water-marks on its shore seemed to indicate 
that, when the rains come, it rises, and then sends off 
a current towards the west-north-west. The water was 
slightly saline, and the basin into which it was gathered 
had a white ring round it, about two feet above its then 
e.xisting level. 
From that point we deviated towards the south-east, 
and struck up a small transverse glen that pierced the 
range on our right. There the black clay-slate once more 
predominated. Nevertheless the naked rocks were very 
rarely visible. All the hills were smothered under loose 
ddbris, sometimes yellow sand, sometimes pulverised red 
sandstone, and sometimes again fine black powdered clay- 
slate, looking in the distance like coal-dust or soot. We 
crossed over quite a number of minor ramifications of 
the mountains, as well as the barren sais between them. 
These last now inclined towards the north-east, and 
belonged to the river system of the Cherchen-daria ; but 
they were all dry, and the men were afraid we should 
not find water that afternoon. 
We soon ascertained that the sais converged upon one 
main glen, dry however like the rest, which stretched 
towards the east. Seeing that the Arka-tagh was im- 
mediately to the south of us, and that the route we were 
