Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 161

1842.

Wood's Journal to the River Oxus.

143

“Painir is not only a radiating point in the hydrographical system of Cen- tral Asia, but it is the focus from which originate its principal mountain chains. The plain along the southern side of which the lake is situated has a width of about three miles; and viewed from this elevated plateau the moun. tains seem to have no great elevation. The table land of Pamir is, as I have already stated, 15,600 feet high, or sixty-two feet lower than the summit of Mont Blanc; but the height of 3400 feet, which I have assigned to the mountains that rise from this elevated basin, is a matter of assumption only. Where nothing but snow meets the eye it is not easy to appreciate heights and distances correctly; and it is therefore not improbable that the dimen- sions thus assigned to Sir-i-kol may be subsequently found incorrect. Co- vered as both the land and water were with snow, it was impossible to tell the exact size; the measurements given were obtained from the Kirghiz, who were familiar with the spot, assisted by my own eye. I regret that I omitted to take the necessary trigonometrical observations for determining the altitude of the southern range of mountains. I estimated their height on the spot, and noted down the impression at the moment; but though had fully intended to have made the measurements on the morrow, it quite escaped ine in my anxiety to fix the geographical position of the lake, nor did I discover the omission until our arrival in Wakhan.

"The Wakhanis name this plain Bam-i-Dúniah, or Roof of the World,' and it would indeed appear to be the highest table-land in Asia, and probably in any part of our globe. From Pamir the ground sinks in every direction ex- cept to the south-east, where similar plateaux extend along the northern face of the Himalaya into Tibet. An individual who had seen the region between Wakhan and Kashmir informed me that the Kuner river had its principal source in a lake resembling that in which the Oxus has its rise, and that the whole of this country, comprehending the districts of Gilgit, Gunjit, and Chitral, is a series of mountain defiles that act as water-courses to drain Pamir.

"As early in the morning of Tuesday, the 20th February, as the cold per- initted, we walked out about 600 yards upon the lake, and having cleared the snow from a portion of its surface, commenced breaking the ice to ascer- tain its depth. This was a matter of greater difficulty than it at first sight appeared, for the water was frozen to the depth of two feet and a half, and, owing to the great rarity of the atmosphere, a few strokes of the pick-ax produced an exhaustion that stretched us upon the snow to recruit our breath. By dint, however, of unwearied exertions and frequent reliefs, we had all but carried the shaft through, when an imprudent stroke fractured its bottom, and up the water jetted to the height of a man, sending us scampering off in all directions. This opening was too small to admit our sounding-lead, and had of necessity to be abandoned; besides, a wet jacket where the ther- moineter is at zero is a much more serious affair than where it is at summer- heat. We resolved to be more circumspect in our next attempt, and diligent search having revealed to us a large stone upon an islet in the lake, it was