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I30
CHAPTER XI.
ACROSS THE DESERT OF LOP.
At the oasis of the Sixty Springs we granted ourselves
and the camels a few days of much-needed rest. Starting
again on the 27th March, we set out to cross the Desert of
Lop towards the south-west, our object being the northern
shore of the Kara-koshun, the vast marsh in which the
Tarim river pours its immense volumes of water. Whilst
crossing the desert, I intended to examine the basin that
was formerly occupied by the ancient lake of Lop-nor.
Abdu Rehim was to accompany us for two days, with
some of his camels laden with ice from the springs. We
filled all our sacks and goat-skins with bright, clear ice ;
but although we protected them all we could from the
sun, two or three bucketsful dripped away during the very
first day, for the temperature at noon now rose to between
62° and 64°, and when we got down into the desert itself
the heat was oppressive. We did not exactly run any real
danger, for I calculated that we should reach the marsh
in a week, and even though our supply of ice were in-
sufficient, we were not likely to perish of thirst.
We were the worse off for provisions, for what we brought
with us from Yanghi-kol soon gave out, and although we
still had some rice and old hard, dry bread, one soon grows
tired of such monotonous fare. Fortunately, the Mussul-
mans were fond of camel-meat, though I and Chernoff
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