1895.] H. G. Raverty— Tibbat three hundred and sixty-five years ago. 89 
Qash, the Ab-i-Kirlah [“ Kiria ” of A—K’s explorations], and Ab-i- 
Jar-jan, 1 all empty themselves into the Lob Nawar [or Lob Lake, which 
geographers will persist in calling Lob-wor 2 ], which Lob Nawar is a 
great lake in the vast sandy desert tract which has been previously 
referred to. From some Mughals who knew this lake, I heard that 
it takes three months to go round about it, and that from the lower part 
of it issues a great river which is known by the name of the Qara 
Huran [Muran ?] of Khitae. 
“ From this description it will appear that Tibbat occupies a very 
elevated position, because the waters issuing from it, all fall down in 
every direction; and from whatever side a person desires to enter 
Tibbat, it is necessary to do so by ascending lofty passes which have no 
subsequent descent; and when you reach the summits the ground is 
comparatively level. 3 In some of the passes there may be a little 
Sanju Pass, you keep more to the left, and in four stages reach Kahaplu-Aghzah 
(referring probably to the place of many spurs, or many mouths or exits, and 
ascents). 
Leaving Kahaplu-A gli za (the “ Kapaloong ” of some maps), another five stages 
take you to Cira gh Shah, (the “ Chiraghsaldee ” of some maps), another now 
desolate halting place; so called after some Sayvid, and by the way, meet with 
much water, and many grassy tracts. There are springs of water here in all 
directions; and the water from them having united, and having been joined by 
other small tributaries, flows towards the north, towards Yar-kand, and receives the 
name of Zar-Afshan. — “The Disperser or Scatterer of Gold.” It is after this that 
its velocity becomes so great. 
The next stage onwards from Cira gh Shah leads over the Kudu Daban, or 
Dawan, or Pass (the “ Yangee Dewan ” of some maps, and Yangi Pass of others). 
Daban or Dawan—‘b’ and ‘ w’ being interchangeable is the Turkish for a pass. 
This pass is of great elevation, and here the territory of Tibbat-i-Kalan or Great 
Tibbat terminates. 
1 As Mirza Haidar makes a difference between the letters ‘ j * and ‘ c ’ when 
necessary, I have left his words as they are written. This place is A—K’s 
“ Char-chand,” but I prefer the Mirza’s mode of writing. 
2 Nawar is the Turki for a lake, not Ndi\ Vast physical changes must have 
taken place since the Mirza wrote ; for we are told, that, according to the statements 
of M. Bonvalot, “ it may be said that Lob-N5r has no existence in name or in fact; 
that there only exists beds of reeds and sand dunes, and that the largest sheet of 
water is called the Kara Buran.” 
The “Kara Buran” here mentioned, is Mirza Haidar’s great river, the Qara 
Nuran [Muran?]. 
3 Although Mirza Haidar does not expressly mention by name “ the newly - 
discovered Altyn-tagh mountains [the Altan Tagh, or Altan range] ” of Prejevalsky, 
and the discovery that “the northern barrier of the Tibetan plateau,” advanced “ to 
the meridian of Lob N5r 3° farther to the north than had hitherto been supposed,” 
but from what he says here, the Mirza was perfectly cognizant that Tibbat extend¬ 
ed thus far north, and that its northern barrier consisted of mountains—a cross 
J. i. 12 
