there, so that we had had in all from Karshi about
53 miles of this character to pass through along a
level road, the altitude of Karshi being 730 feet, and
that of Karaul 660 feet.
Now the character of the steppe changed, the soil
became stony and sandy, and all vegetation completely
disappeared. W e were in a desert pure and simple ;
sand, sand everywhere, and blowing withal in our
faces, so that we were glad to get into the tarantass,
and shut it up closely to keep ourselves from being
covered. This kind of steppe continues over some
high ground and beyond the ruins of Sarai-Mama-
Jugarta, and onwards to the salt lake, from whose,
shore there continues a salt tract almost up to Bokhara.
T h e name of the lake on the map is Kunja-Kul, but
the local name was given me as Kulimai. f
From the high ground of Mama-Jugarta to Bokhara
is only 11 miles, but my hopes of getting there that
night were to be disappointed, for it was not till
7 o’clock we came to Chitarik, where a djiguitt from
the Kush-beggi came out from Bokhara to meet us
and apologize, saying that they had received the letter
from Karshi to announce our coming only that day
at noon ; and hence the poor reception made for me
at the last two stations. I had, however, put this
* Witnessed to here and there by the bleached bones of horses and
camels fallen and left as meat for the fowls of the heaven and for the
beasts of the earth (Jer. xvi. 4), to which the eagle flies, hastening to
6a+ Yak^ob said it took its name from kunji, a corner, because the
shore is irregular, and mat, fish. They gave me its length as about
6 miles which, according to my Russian map, is full measure It was
s a T d to be from 25 to 5o feet deep, and frozen in winter to the thickness
of a foot, so that camels may cross it. I could hear nothing of boats
thereon, but fish is caught with shore nets and sold m Bokhara at from
3d. to $d. per lb.
down to my own perverseness in getting ahead of
those sent forward to prepare for my comfort. At
Chitarik we were put up for the night, and our host
brought forth at our evening meal a rather pretty
china plate. I had the curiosity to look at the bottom,
and, to my amazement, saw written in my own tongue
“ Real Ironstone China.” No Englishman had been
along that road, so far as I know, since Alexander
Burnes, half a century before, and I wondered how
it came there.
The temperature fell during the night to 550, and
at 7.30 we were again on the move. The salt tract
soon ceased, and the country began to show signs
of life and cultivation. After 5 miles of travel we
came to the village of Kagan, where the Bokhariot
oasis begins. Although we had not long since breakfasted,
we were expected to stop here for tea and
refreshments, partly also, I fancy, because, our nimble
movements rather outran the local arrangements.
Henceforward, for the remaining five miles, we drove
through fields and gardens, till we stood before a city
with a wall great and high, having 11 gates, rigorously
closed by night, which city, when I had entered, I
found one of the most interesting, and certainly the
most curious, I have ever seen.
VOL. 11. 5