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

42 THE R.RG IONS SUIi.VISY El) [Chap. II
For the western and higher portion of this morlnti~in rampart which rises to peaks of
over 23,000 feet,, t.he Sheets Nos. 6, 9,10, 14, 15 afford anil)le cartographical materials. TO
the east of the Keriya river the chart~cter of tlie chain overlooking the 'l'ziritn basin does not
change; but its \vitlt,ll is reduced and the elevated Tibetan plateans approach it closer from the
south. TllrougIlo~~t the \vllole length of the cllain tlie foot of its northern slopes is formed by
a glwis of piedmont ~l.:r\.cl, attaining in ~rart,s a \vidth of 40 miles and more, and everywhere
utterly sterile.
On t.lte iloi.th the basin of tlie 'l'arini is enclosrd by the greatp TT'iet~-sllan chain. 111 the
wrst, it. ~nrrts t,l~c rneridio~lal range above metltioned near the Alai and tile
'l..,sn-.l~sn I.:~:P. Ileatl\v:~ters:of t,l~e Kisllgar river. Thence it stretches away unbroken to
its nort,I~-msternmost. corner near Korla \vhcre the Konclic-claryfi, fed by
the Baghmsli lake, enters the I)l:~itls (Sl1eet.s No. 24., 25). Nort,lr of Ak-su, tlie T'ien-shan
attains its c~llminating point, in the .great peak of Ten~ri-lihtin (Sheet No. I1 j. Tllence
a branch of the main chain, gmclually tliminishing in lieiglit, forms the enclosing
of tile basin. To the \vest of ilk-su a series of ootlyinX lower ranges intervenes betnreen
the main chain and the pinills (Sllerts YO. 4, 5, 7).
While our surveys sllo\v this orti ti on of tlre ~lortllerit riln ill sotr~e tlctail, east of Ak-sit
they were confined mainly to the soutllern slopes of the range immediately overlooking the
basin (Sheets No. 16, 17, 20, 21). Neverthelebs they snttic,e to bring out celtain rlralacteristie
differences between this northern mountain border and the K'un-Ian. Amonq tltem I may
mention the mucll stnallrr width, or complete absence, of tlie gravel glacis at the foot of the
T1ien-sl~an, and the less arid character of tlie main iange as ilcmonsttated by the presence of
conifer forest, in a number of \alleys on its southern slopes. I Both these facts bear eviclencc
to the influence assert,ed by the far moister climatic conditions which prevail north of the
T'ien-shau.
Beyond Korla tShe desert ill~lands of tlie Kuruli-tagli, tlie 'Dry illo~rntains', take the
place of tlie T'ien-sllan as tlie border of tlie Tarirn basin both to the
1)escrt ranzes of
1i"l ,,k-lC;I,. north ant1 north-east. The character of this barren succession of much-
decayed parallel ranges with wide gravel-filled valle!~ and drainageless
basins between them, is adequately illustrated by tlie surveys embodicd in Slieets No. 25, 28,
E9, 32. What scanty moisture cver reaches the southern slopes of the Kurok-tsgh and
escapes evaporation on its wide gravel glacis, descends in wide flood-beds to the Konche-darya
and its ancient continuatiou east\vards, tlie Kuruli-daryi or 'Dry River', which once carried its
waters to the Lou-Ian area. The aridity of the ~uruk-tigh steadily increases eastwards until
st about longitude 91' even the rare salt springs, which rendered its exploration possible, are
no longer encountered.
SECTION 11.-THE TAKLAMAKAN DESERT.
Within the Tarim basin enclosed by the mountain barriers briefly described above,
we may conveniently distingrlish four main regions. By far the
'enha' cf
draft-sand. largest, and perhaps the best defined, comprises the huge central area
of bare drift-sand desert, popularly known as the Taklamakin. Its
borders to the west, north, and east are roughly determined by the belts of vegetation
accompanying the Tiznaf, the Yirkand and the l'irim rivers, the last being the name
generally given to the Ysrkand-daryi after receiving the rivers of Kishgar, Ak-su and
Khotan. The dune-covered area has olitliers beyond these rirerine borders in a number of
*places. But only two of these, both at the extreme ends of tlie central area, are sufficiently
large to deserve here special mention. In the west we have the moving sands of Ordamp%dshih
stretching from the vicinity of Yangi-hiss~r to the left bank of the Yarkand river
Recaheet No. 12.B.C. I; 16. B.4; 20. A, R.I.