rom the smaller lake, Kara Buran, the
party diverged southward to the village of Charchalyk, built about
thirty years ago by outlaws from Khotan, of which there are at present
114 engaged in tilling fields for the state.... Where Charchalyk now
stands, and also at the distance of two days' journey from it, are the
ruins of two towns, called Ottogush-Shari (from Ottogush, a former
ruler) and Gas-Shari respectively. Close to Lob-Nor (Kara Koshun) are
the ruins of a third and pretty extensive town called Kune-Shari. From
inquires, Prejevalsky ascertained that about 1861 or 1862 a colony of
Russians numbering about 160 or 170 people, including women and
children, with their pack-horses and armed with flint-lock muskets,
settled on the Lower Tarim and at Charchalyk, but that they made no long
stay, and soon returned to Urumchi, via Turfan.... Turning to the
Lob-Nor Lake (Kara Koshun), which the travellers reached in the early
days of February, it should be observed that the Tarim discharges itself
first into a smaller lake (from thirty to thirty-five versts in length,
and between ten and twelve versts in breadth) called Kara Buran (_i.e._
black storms) into which the Cherchendaria flows as well. A great part
of the Kara Buran, as of Lob-Nor, is overgrow with reeds, the river
flowing in its bed in the centre. The name Lob-Nor is applied by the
natives to the whole lower course of the Tarim, the larger lake being
called Chok-kul or Kara Koshun. This lake, or rather morass, is in the
shape of an irregular ellipse running south-west and north-east.

"Its major axis is about 90 or 100 versts in length, its minor axis not
more than twenty versts. This information is derived from the natives,
as Prejevalsky himself explored only the southern and western end, and
proceeded by boat down the river for about half the length of the lake,
further progress being rendered impossible by the increasing shallowness
of the water and the masses of reeds in every direction. The water
itself is clear and sweet, though there are salt marshes all round the
lake, and beyond them a strip of ground parallel with the present
borders of the lake and overgrown with tamarisks. It is probable that
this strip was formerly the periphery of the lake, and this conclusion
is corroborated by the natives, who say that thirty years ago the lake
was deeper."

It is clear that the true position of Lob-Nor has yet to be defined by
modern exploration, but we may safe