DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31772#0104
62
TRAVELS m TURKISTAN.
going on by warnings about tlie cold, and only took us a
distance of ten miles tbat day, to Gulja-basbi, a spot in a
sbeltered valley witli abundant pasturage and busb fuel. Our
party was tbere joined by tbree Yuzbasbis and a Kirgbiz
guard from tbe Cbakmak garrison. Tbe following day we made
a marcb of fifteen miles to Torugat-bela, an interesting road, as
after passing tbrougb volcanic rocks we came to a place wbere
tbe banks, rising to many bundreds of feet in perpendicular
lieiglit, bore umnistakable signs of being tbe crater of an
extinct volcano. Our geologist, Dr. Stoliczka, wbo bad pre-
viously expressed liis belief in tlie existence of an old volcano in
tbis quarter, was of course cleligbted. Sir Henry Kawlinson,
tbe President of tbe Royal Oeograpbical Society of England,
in adclressing tbe meeting of tlie 15tb June 1874, said witb
reference to tbis tliat tbe discovery of an extinct crater on tbe
outer skirts of tbe Tian Slian was a most important addition
to our knowledge of tbe pbysical geograjiby of tbe region,
confirming, as it did, wbat tbe great Humboldt always main-
tainecl witli regarcl to tbe Tian Sban, but wliat tbe Russian
geograpbers liave recently disputed.
We saw on tliis clay’s journey, for tlie first time, tbe “ Ovis
jooli,” liitberto regarded as a lialf mytbical animal. On leaving
tbe road ancl wandering over tlie grass-covered undulating bills
ancl long sloping flats to tbe west, we saw several large flocks
of tbis gigantic wild sbeep, but were not fortunate enougb to
sboot any. One of our party, in bis intense eagerness to be tbe
envied “ first ” to bag a specimen, undertook a long and slow
stalk round tbe summit of a ridge about 14,000 feet liigb, and
was frost-bitten on tbe fingers from tbe cold contact of tbe rifle
barrel before lie got tlie cliance of tbe sliot, wbicb be missecb
Tbe tbermometer marked 26° below zero tbat nigbt outside.
TRAVELS m TURKISTAN.
going on by warnings about tlie cold, and only took us a
distance of ten miles tbat day, to Gulja-basbi, a spot in a
sbeltered valley witli abundant pasturage and busb fuel. Our
party was tbere joined by tbree Yuzbasbis and a Kirgbiz
guard from tbe Cbakmak garrison. Tbe following day we made
a marcb of fifteen miles to Torugat-bela, an interesting road, as
after passing tbrougb volcanic rocks we came to a place wbere
tbe banks, rising to many bundreds of feet in perpendicular
lieiglit, bore umnistakable signs of being tbe crater of an
extinct volcano. Our geologist, Dr. Stoliczka, wbo bad pre-
viously expressed liis belief in tlie existence of an old volcano in
tbis quarter, was of course cleligbted. Sir Henry Kawlinson,
tbe President of tbe Royal Oeograpbical Society of England,
in adclressing tbe meeting of tlie 15tb June 1874, said witb
reference to tbis tliat tbe discovery of an extinct crater on tbe
outer skirts of tbe Tian Slian was a most important addition
to our knowledge of tbe pbysical geograjiby of tbe region,
confirming, as it did, wbat tbe great Humboldt always main-
tainecl witli regarcl to tbe Tian Sban, but wliat tbe Russian
geograpbers liave recently disputed.
We saw on tliis clay’s journey, for tlie first time, tbe “ Ovis
jooli,” liitberto regarded as a lialf mytbical animal. On leaving
tbe road ancl wandering over tlie grass-covered undulating bills
ancl long sloping flats to tbe west, we saw several large flocks
of tbis gigantic wild sbeep, but were not fortunate enougb to
sboot any. One of our party, in bis intense eagerness to be tbe
envied “ first ” to bag a specimen, undertook a long and slow
stalk round tbe summit of a ridge about 14,000 feet liigb, and
was frost-bitten on tbe fingers from tbe cold contact of tbe rifle
barrel before lie got tlie cliance of tbe sliot, wbicb be missecb
Tbe tbermometer marked 26° below zero tbat nigbt outside.