File:Ruins of desert Cathay - personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China (1912) (14596534288).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
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Publisher: London : Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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steep clay banks andsharply cut trenches between them, twenty and more feetdeep, had to be negotiated at right angles. These lastthree miles were like an obstacle race, and most tiring.But just as darkness came on I had the satisfaction ofreaching the foot of the ruined Stupa, which stands outin this weirdly desolate landscape as the landmark of themain group of ruins. The abundance of ancient timber strewing the groundwhere structures had been completely eroded, allowed usto light a big signal fire on the top of a high clay * witness,and, guided by it, the convoy of our much-tried camels safelyarrived nearly two hours later. I, likewise, had been fairlyworn out by the exertions and anxieties of this week ofhard desert marching. Yet as I sat warming myself withthe men by the glowing bonfire, which threw ruins andYardangs alike into fantastically bold relief, all that re-mained was elation at the goal successfully reached. Inthe letters which I wrote that night in my little tent until
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ARRIVAL AT GOAL 375 the ink was freezing in my fountain pen, to carry to distantfriends the news of my safe arrival, that feeling was dulyreflected. Sincere was my gratitude, too, to Hedin for his excel-lent mapping which, in spite of a difference of routes andthe total absence of guiding features, had allowed me tostrike these forlorn ruins without a days loss, and exactlywhere his route map had led me to look for them. Sincethe results of our own plane-table surveys, checked by tri-angulation as far as the mountains south-west of Charklikand by ample astronomical observations, have been fullycomputed and plotted, I have convinced myself with nosmall satisfaction that Hedins position for this site differsfrom ours only by about one and a half miles in longitudeand less than half a mile in latitude, a variance trulytrifling on such ground. CHAPTER XXXII FIRST EXCAVATIONS AT THE LOP-NOR SITE Delightful was that first nights rest at the ruins whichit had cost such exertions to reach, an

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