ose to the mountains. Beyond this
point the track was south-east (125 deg. bearings magnetic) with picturesque
mountains on the east-south-east and high red sand hills in the east, one
isolated high black hill lying in the desert beyond. A very pointed
conical hill was noticeable, and another like a small replica of Fujisan
of Japan fame. This latter hill was in Afghan territory. A number of
great rocky pillars stood upright above the hill tops. Twelve miles from
Kirtaka we crossed a river bed 150 feet wide, which lost itself in the
Afghan desert. Then a mile further we came to another river bed.

[Illustration: Beluch Black Tents at Mahommed Raza Chah.]

[Illustration: Rock Pillar between Kirtaka and Saindak.]

The track here (about 13 miles from Kirtaka) turned south-west following
the river bed, then due south, where among the mountains we saw a huge
pillar of a brilliant yellow colour and over 50 feet high, standing up by
the roadside. The illustration gives a fair idea of it. To the south-east
in the direction of our track, which for a change was quite tortuous,
were mounds of sand and debris. The red rock of the mountains seemed
crumbling towards the east, whereas the hills to the west were well
rounded and padded with sand and gravel.

We went over a low pass 3,810 feet, and then along a flat basin with
hills to the south-east, and outlets both to the south-east and east. We
had descended to 3,680 feet, but had to go up another pass 4,060 feet,
the highest we had so far encountered. Innumerable yellow sand hills were
before us to the north-north-east, and here we were on a sort of flat
sandy plateau, three-quarters of a mile wide and a mile and a half long.
Ten sharp-pointed peaks could be counted to the south-south-east, high
mountains were before us to the south-east, and a long range beyond them
east-south-east. Sand dunes, shaped like the back of a whale were to the
east, and a remarkable spherical mount south-south-east directly in front
of the ten peaks. We arrived at Saindak.

CHAPTER XXX

An excursion into Afghanistan--The salt deposits of
God-i-Zirreh--Sand hills--Curious formation of hill
range--Barchans and how they are formed--Alexander's march
through the country--The water of Godar-i-Chah--Afghans and their
looks.

The excursion which I made into Afghan territory to the salt deposit of
Gaud- or God-i-Zirreh, and a lower depression to the east of it, was of
gr