Page:From Kulja, across the Tian Shan to Lob-Nor (1879).djvu/98

Rh of our escort, Rakhmet Beg, was deputed to conduct them back to Ushak-tala, situated on the road from Kara-shahr to Turfan. On reaching the last-named place the emigrants departed for Urumtsi, and nothing has been since heard of them, for the outbreak of the Dungan insurrection interrupted communications with the trans-Tian-Shan districts. This is all we could ascertain about the starovertsi sometime resident at Lob-nor. After a week's rest at Chargalyk, where I left the greater part of my baggage in charge of three Cossacks, I started with the three other Cossacks and my assistant, F. L. Eklon, the day after Christmas day, for the Altyn-tagh mountains to hunt the wild camel, which according to the unanimous testimony of the Lob-nortsi inhabits these mountains and the deserts to the east of them. Zaman Beg and his companions also remained behind at Chargalyk.

Our caravan now consisted of only eleven