point the road divides, one branch making a détour to
the left by Kok-su and Ters-agan to Kugalin, whilst
the road to the right goes to Kugalin direct. This
latter way we went, starting after tea, and arriving in
the middle of the night two stations further on at
Altyn-Immel. So cold had it become during the last
two stages that, despite my Ulster coat and Maude
shawl, I had to descend from the tarantass and run to
warm my feet.
Altyn-Immel to us was “ Kuldja junction,” where we
had to re-arrange if not to “ change carriages.” From
this point we turned off to Kuldja, that was to be our
next resting-place, whither it seemed unnecessary to
drag our wagonette, laden chiefly with Russian books,
but rather to take the Mongolian and Chinese Scriptures,
and leave the rest till our return. We arrived
in the small hours of the morning at Altyn-Immel,
where, being unable to find anyone in the post-house,
I entered the guest-room, and began writing till daylight
should bring someone on the scene. A t length
the post-master, a Tatar, emerged from his sleeping-
place, that was none other than an empty post-cart in
the yard, after which, our boxes' left in his charge, we
hurried off towards Kuldja.
C H A P T E R X IV .
F R OM A L T YN - IM M E L TO K U L D J A .
The Altyn-Immel Pa s sE -T he Hi valley and its mountains.— Stations
to Kuldja.—A sick telegraphist, and Tatar.— Nomads of the
Province.— Borokhudzir fortress and nursery.— Cotton growing
Ruined towns, and Solons.— Kuldja minerals, and mininggj-Chin-
chakhodzi, and road to Lake Sairam.— Communications of the
Province.— History of Ili valley : its colonization, rebellion, and
occupation by Russians —-Arrival at Kuldja.
SOON after sunrise on the last day of August, we
left the post-station with our stock of Chinese and
Mongolian books piled on the tarantass in three cases,
and thus heavily laden we gradually ascended for seven
miles to the gorge or pass of Yakshi-Altyn-Immel, or
the “ good golden saddle,” so-called in distinction from
the “ Yaman” or “ b a d ” Altyn-Immel pass in another
part of the range. We had attained a height of about
5,500 feet above the sea, and had a fine view before
us. The length of the gorge is four miles, and the
road passes through clefts in the overhanging rocks.
At times the cliffs recede, and then in front there opens
out a vast plateau shut in on the south by the central
course of the Ili. There now lay before us a district
that has played a prominent part in the history of the
East. It is the most accessible depression by which
the great plateau of Central Asia may be reached from
the Turkistan plains. Hence the Kuldja oasis has