File:Ruins of desert Cathay - personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China (1912) (14596520499).jpg

Identifier: ruinsofdesertcat01stei (find matches)
Title: Ruins of desert Cathay : personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Stein, Aurel, Sir, 1862-1943 Archaeological Survey of India
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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ery low. It would have been even lower butfor the blizzard on our arrival, the snow of which lay longenough at the foot of the hills near the springs for asmall quantity to be melted down to refresh the animals.Recurring cases of illness among the men showed howexposure to the continuous icy blasts, with hard work byday and inadequate shelter at night, was telling on them.The Surveyors rheumatic pains had placed him hors decombat for most of the time. I myself, amid constantexertions and strain, had renewed attacks of malarial feverto contend with. It was time for us all to regain ground where there waswater and with it life. I decided to effect this move intwo separate columns. The main camp was to march backto Abdal with the archaeological proceeds, nearly fourcamel loads, by the track we had come. The Surveyorcould take charge of this column, since his ailing conditionmade him unfit for topographical work on any new route Ishould otherwise have liked him to take through the desert.
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125. fragmp:nts of decorative WOOD-CARVING, MOTIFS, FROM RULNED HOUSE LB. IV.,Scale, one-fourth. PARTLY WITH CLASSICALLOP-NOR SITE. 2. Painted arm-rest, carved in the round, representing composite figure in style derived from Hellenistic art.3. Lacquered arm-rest, representing grotesque beast in Persepolitan style. cH.xxxv ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURN 413 I myself, with half-a-dozen picked men still fit for diggingif the opportunity offered, was preparing to strike throughthe unexplored desert south-westward, and thus to makefor the Tarim. I had been bent from the first upon takinga new course across the Lop desert, and was lookingforward keenly to this chance of moving for once free fromthe impedimenta presented by a heavy convoy and specificarchaeological tasks. Various considerations combined to settle the directionof my course. It would have been most tempting to moveto the east along the foot of the Kuruk-tagh hills, and thusto trace if possible the ancient trade route which the ruine

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