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A CRITICAL SITUATION. 275
We now began to look out through the glass for Tokta
Akhun’s signal-fire. The surface of the desert was there
as fiat as the ocean. When we started on the i6th, we
had only about twelve miles to go to reach the lake,
but our measurements took up a good deal of time. AH
the same, we began to note the first indications of the
proximity of " land " ; I mean we began to observe that
we were approaching the " shore " of the desert " ocean."
First came two or three dead or dying tamarisks ; then
small, low sand-dunes, which had formed behind the
bushes—most welcome to our tender feet. Then the sight
of flocks of wild-duck put fresh life into us. The ground
inclined, although extremely slowly, towards the south
—
an indication that we were nearing the Kara-koshun.
The 17th March was a sultry day. We were all hungry
and tired. The desert, again absolutely barren, burnt
under our feet, for we crawled along so slowly owing to
the measurements we were making. When putting in
the 17th staff on the top of a dune, two of the men cried,
" Water ! Water ! in every direction !
" and in fact we
were so near to the Kara-koshun that the 19th staff was
actually placed in the water. Here we were then, at the
end of our tiring and irksome, but none the less important,
task.
The lake extended over an immense area—shallow, bare,
and devoid of vegetation. The water was slightly salt,
but it was at any rate better than the tepid jolted stuff
we had in our goat-skins. The camels regarded the watery
expanse with a calm and critical eye ; evidently they
thought, as we did, that this place, in comparison with the
desert we had left behind us, was a perfect paradise. Along
the shore was a sprinkling of steppe plants, and whilst
we formed our camp amongst them, we turned our animals
loose to graze. Everybody was now in the highest good
spirits.
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