Page:From Kulja, across the Tian Shan to Lob-Nor (1879).djvu/69

50 opportunity of catching any. Fish too are said to abound in Lake Bagarash, into which the Kaidu empties. This lake lies not far to the west of Kara-shahr, and is very large and deep. It would have been very interesting to have explored it; but, alas, we could not manage this, either in going or returning.

After a halt of seven days at Kara-moto, we at length received permission to proceed to the town of Korla (but not to Kara-shahr), through which lies the road to Lob-nor. The distance from Kara-moto to Korla is sixty-two versts, and we accomplished it in three days, escorted by the same men who had a little while back first visited us. At each station on the road they brought us a sheep and some fruit. Before Korla could be reached, it was necessary to cross the last spur of the Tian Shan by a defile, through which rushes the Koncheh-daria, flowing out of Bagarash into the Tarim. At either end of this defile, which is ten versts long and very narrow, stands a mud fort, garrisoned by a small force.

No sooner had we arrived at Korla, and established ourselves in a house prepared for us outside the town, than a guard was placed over us, on the plea of protecting us; but, in reality, to prevent any of the townspeople, who are extremely dissatisfied with Yakub Beg's rule, from