1923%20Memoir%20on%20Maps%20of%20Chinese%20Turkistan%20by%20Stein%20s

So HISTORY OF Slrll\'ETS [Chap. I
north and south of the line of oases stretclring westwards to Khotan. 68 After more
.rcha~olo~ical labours at sites in the desert fringing the Khotan oasis to the north and
nortll-west, me started early in April for Ali-su by the route wlrich leads througl~ the
heart of the Taklamakln along the united bed of the Yumng-liiish and Kara-kiish rivers,
then practically dry.
On this journey I was able to explore int~rrst~ing ancient remains on the curious
desert lrill of Mazir-tiigh which juts out to the left bank of the Khotan
InnFe ti+. Of Mar'r- river as the last offshoot of a lorn and now almost completely eroded
range coming from the north-west. A reconnaissance made by the surveyor
showed that tlris rauge is still traceable amidst high dunes for a distauce of at least
twenty miles. 6U Its exploration beyond was impossible at t.hat season of increasing beat and
sand-storms.
We descended the Kl~otan river bed to t.he neighbo~~rl~ood of its junction with the
Tirrinl whicl~ \re crossed. By the left brulr of the Ak-su river we
Journey to Ak-cn. reached tlie town of that name, the present Ch~nese headquarters for the
eastern portion of the Tirim basin, early in May. There we separated
for nearly three months. I myself travelled up the Uch-Turfin valley and crossed a barren
and very rugged outer range of the T'ien-shan, previously unsurveyecl, to tlie little-kno\vn
oasis of Kelpin. '-"
Moving south\vards I traced remains of ancient settlements in the desert between
the arid outer hills of Kelpin and the terminal course of the Kishgar
to lihotnn river, before reaching the Ak-su--Kishgar highway near the ruined sites
Yirkaud.
of Tumshok. 63 A series of lo\\, yarallel hill ranges in the nnsurveyed
desert belt to the north-east of RIaril-biislli offered an opportunity for interesting topographical
work. Then the increasing heat and the call of mnny heavy tasks obliged me
to return to my base at Khotan. Proceeding by rapid rnarches along the left bank of the
Y~rliand river I carried my plaue-table traverse to Yitrkand, " whence the caravan route
already followed in 1900 brought me back to Khotan by June 9th.
Here I was detained by exacting labours neecletl for the safe packing of my large
colleetiou of antiques and by the manifold reparations for the planned
Lil Singh's surveys
alongT'~en shan and in explorations in the Iligh K'un-lun to the south. The halt fortunately
'". K'nn-lon.
allowed me to give La1 Sing11 adequate tinre for independent survey
work, and wit11 his unfailing eurrgy Ile used it to the best advantage. Injury to a level
of the theodolite prevented, it is true, t,he triaogalation I had wisl~ed him to carry from
Ak-su to Kl~otan. Nevertheless he effected very useful plane-table surveys along tile main
T'ien-shan range from the valley below the RIuz-art pass to the n.aterslred nort,h of ICishgar. G"
Descending a second time to Kislrgnr, he travelled to Gcn~a through the districts of YBrliand
and Karghalik by a route different from the higli-roads already surveyed. He then
succeeded in mapping, as directed, the last portions of tcnu i~tcogaifu on tho nort,hern slopes
of the K'un-lun between the Kiliin valley and the nliddle Kara-l~ish river above Pujiya in the
lower Khotan hills. In addition he connected his survey wit11 l?%m Singh's ~vork in 1906
by crossing the Sanju-dawsn and ascending the Kara-k;isl~ river as far as 1Cili:in-kurg11:in.
63 See Sheet No. 14. A-B. 2. C. 3; Desert
Cathay, ii. pp. 413 sqq.
" See Sheet No. 9. D. 2.
See Sheet No. 13. A. 3, B. 4; Desevl Catlay,
ii. pp. 417 sqq.
See Sheets Nos. 13. A.4, B. 1-4; 12. A. 3, 4,
B. 4.
" See Sheet NO. 7. B. 2. 3, C. 2, D. 2; Dedert
Cathay, ii. 421 sqq.
" Bee Sheets Nos. 7. B. 4; 8. B. 1.
" See S!~eets No. 8. 3, B. 1 ; 5. C. 3.4; D. 1,2.
With regard to thi! plane.table work between
Ak-su and Yirkand I Fay brief9 note thnt the roote
111ad followed was crossed by that of Lil Singlt only
at one point, the srnnll omin of Abid, two marches
north of Tirksnd (Sheet No. 6. C. 2). The distn~ice
covered by me from our comu~o~l startiug poiut. Aksu.
amounted t.o over 350 miles. while tliat, on the
snrvcyor's roote via Kefihgnr \~~as,considernbly greater.
It w ~ hence s no small satisfaction to rue to find t,hat
the position shown for Abid by ruy o~.n plane-lab:e
differed from that of Lil Singh Ly only onc mile in
longitude nud about two in Iatitnile.
'$ See Sbeets Nos. 12. A, B. 1 ; 7. A. 3, B. 2, 3, C. 2,
D.1,2;4.A-C.4,D.3,4;1.C,D.4.
'"or the route to and from Ilishgar, 'see' Sheete
Nos. 2. D. 1, 2 ; 5. A. 1. Porthe ronte from liishgar via
Abid-Merket-Karghalik t6 Girmn, see Sheets Nos. 5.
A-C.2,4,U.3;G.C.l,D.1,2;9:A.1,2.
'' See Sheets Nos. G.D. 2; 9. A. 1-3, B. 2,'3, C. 3, D12.