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SEPTEMBER, 1917]
A THIRD JOURNEY OF EXPLORATION IN CENTRAL ASIA
193
A THIRD JOURNEY OF EXPLORATION IN CENTRAL ASIA, 1913-16.
BY SIR AUREL STEIN, K.C.L.E., D.LIT..
(Continued from p. 172.) IT was a great relief when by the ninth day from Altmish-bulak we came upon the first
scanty scrub and reeds growing on sandy soil by he shore of the ancient dried-up sea. Next day a 'long march to the south-east brought us 'sely across the wide, salt-enerusted expanse, here showing patches of actual salt bog to the lonely caravan track towards Tun-huang. There at the well o. Kum-kuduk I had the great satisfaction of finding bravo Lal Singh just arrived after carrying out an interesting survey of the worth-easterii shores of the dried-up sea-bed, and the straggling low ranges whick abut upon them. One day later our successfully arranged concentration was completed by the arrival of our heavy baggage from Miran.
Letting it move on towards Tun-huang by the caravan track we turned once more north across the end of the dried-up Lop Sea, and continued to explore the ground close to the foot of the Kuruk-tagh where the ancient route had passed. Further to the north-east the desert area near the present terminal basin of the Su-Jo Ho River, with its dried-up depressions and mazes of lacustrine Meshas, offered opporturities for geographically interesting now surveys. There I picked up Surveyor Muhammad Yakub Khan, who had carried a carefully observed line of levels all the way up from the southern shore of the ancient dry sea. Coupled with other observations, its result has confirmed my belief that the water of the Su-lo Ho at a peroid relatively recent in a geological sense had drained into the Lopnor Basin. We found them still percolating, in the same direction, the sandy soil at the foot of the Kuruk-tagh within a few feet from the surface. Evidence that this drainage had been more considerable during historical times was furnished by the remains we traced of & canal, which appears to have been constructed for the purpose of carrying water along a portion of the ancient Chinese route where it approached the eastern end of the dried-up salt sea.
Leaving the surveyors behind for supplementary tasks, I reached by Maroh 16 the westernmost point of that fortified ancient Chinese border line which I had first discovered and successfully explored in 1907. It was & cheering experience for me during the next few days to revisit the ruined watch-stations of the “Great Wall " in this desolate gravel waste and clear up on the spot antiquarian questions raised by the ancient records they had yielded. I felt quite at home here, as I followed again the tracks still clearly visible for long distances which the tramp of the patrols marching along the wall for centuries had worn into the soil. The fact that in places I could quite distinctly recognize my own footprints of seven years before, and those of my little dog, was the best illustration how long this bare gravel surface might retain traons of regular tracks, even if trodden about the time of Christ. From Lake Khara-nor onwards I then completed my detailed exploration of the Tun-huang Limes by searching all the ruined watch-towers along the portion of the line where circumstances had in 1907 obliged me to leave a gap in my survey. These : nall watch-stations usually occupied the top of high erosion terraces, and their ruing and refuse heaps were thus well protected from damp. So our search was rewarded by plentiful finds of Chinese records on wood, ourious artioles of equipmeat and other interesting relics going back to Han times.
