The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-13
CITIES BURIED IN SANDS.
ONLY BaRE HILLOCKs UHERE BUSY
GIPITLLN TLOI KISHEU.
BuiIdins. sabine rged bv Advancing Floods Of
sand Living Persons swallowed up win
their lIouips- Gnid mud silver Found

their Homes mud silver round
From TIE k9ndoH wa
During his reccn, MISSION To kashgar, SIR
T. Douglas TUrsyth became much Interested IN
the buried cities Of the Cobb desert, Eastern
Turkestan which are now coming to light. In
paper on the subject sir Douglas mentions
that when Mr. johnson returned to India from
bis venturcsome journey to khotan, he brought
an account Of a visit to an ancient city not far
from kira. and Ave marches distant from Kho-
tan, which had been buried in the sand for cen
turies, and from which gold aud silver ornn-
ments and even bricks Of tea were aug up .Ittlo
Information IA to these ancient cities clull he
gathered dutingtbe first visit to lark nm IN $50,
but more searching inquiry was made or tne
occ sion OF the second VISIT three years lalcr,
aud Marco Polo Is placed I the head Of a list ~
authorities which had Il. ell previously consult
Cd Kbotnn which is supposed 10y some to he
the limit ~ II lrius'- conquest. was IN elrly
ages INHABITED bv political eN.los from lndii.s 50
that The IIudoo religion nourisucd there, and
have some gold ornaments fOund there, when
are exactly the same ~ those worn bv the nm
doc women OF the present day.. ~ h"musht
history We read how the king uf khotdn took
army across the snowy mountalts uiu at
tackled the King II X ishmir, and how pe &c
was made between the two countries. and the
result was that cert III Kah lus or A>cetics
brought the Buddhist religion INTO the country,
and In the 'Tarkh Rlshldi we read how n
Christian Queen. wife II kOshluk. ruled III the
land and made pruselytes to her renRion."
The shifting sands beneath which many cities
are buried are nus SPOKEN 'l ~ VI, ifri w
,ky: ne sands are SUCCESSION OF nlloeh-,
rarely lVl Ittt ul-N, Nlil sue ~ sllf dill
composed OF yellow sand ne uuNtr htr yum
Of this -and when Disturbed ~ the wind blow
Ing on either side Of the hills forms loose d.
which have the appearance Ot snow Urifts lho
effect OF these bar hill 'eks l. most most dretry
aud depressing when YOU are among them, and
can see nothing but the Ely aud the sand:
not "a plan q. mot IN animal !. visible. with the
single ,xccVlion # Ycilowish Fray hlz ards;
which trit tlItir bodies over the Loose soii anu
mark II with the p.ttrins ~ thcir tracks.
duh htayiness oppf. -se- the senses In this in
animate set Of sand. NJ sounds 'ro
heard. not even the chitring OF the grass
hooper. the silence Of the TOMB surrounds
YOU No wonder irat the loc,l Moneus relate
some marvellous stories aoou; these fisntful
deserts fheN tell goa that tli- WIS the scene
n the uriuctpal exploits 81 two heroes -Gissir
Khan and tniughiz khan-and how here thcse
warriors fought AZ uust tie chinese and scw
couutc~s numbers. whose toIies God caused
the wind To cover with sand from the desert.
10 tins daN the Mouguls rel tie with supersu.
tiOu- ave- ROW cries aud sroans may be he rd
In the sanI- Of hugHpchi' which proceed ron
the spirits u the departed and thnt every now
and then the winds which sir up the sand eI-
pose to view diiier, nj treasures, such IA silver
dlrner NulrH' nIth c"u-p'cuvus aooNe ny
surface. may not be taken awa', because death
would Immediately UveftAke the bold man who
Venturcd 60 touch them
In the course oi mis- Journey Sir Douglas For
syth passed Nsriuu. luat stages. deserted owing
- thc .it ncius Alis. ana tenements' sun oc-
Cupicd. ut Oofduu| Padshth, although In course
OF suhmergcuce, White the roofs OF neighOOring
buildings ndu tren crushel III by nhe shnu.
"Tne process Of sibmtreence Is usually a very
gradual one. until the symmetry Of the dune Il
50 broken hi tnc otsiructln9 ob1rct that ITS
loose IN ticrials subside and oyerwhelm the OBJ
struCtion. Inc sanl dunes are formed by the
action oi the per"dicl norm ana northwest
winds wnich blow over the pain during the
.pring uunths." Tue rate OF progress It was i'm
possible : determine. hut the ph snomenon as
seen In course OF operation eS lained the man
ner III whtcn great lties. such as bop, X TAX,
and other, In III. same tesritorv had been de-
strOycu In hOld of sand. Frequently the In
haLitants Of houses, III the desire to stay by
their homes TIL the last hour, are enclosed In
living toubs. mat this cid actually occur t
kaiak IA many inst noes - cyluenced IS the
sAeiet rs ana desiccAted bodies which are still
Ilt in ftaf H.alt. b.
their apparel ana furniture int lct ana unln ured
ST. told WITH apparent truth by the shepherds
VINO roam that spot OF the present day.
Tue snilUe Of OOriuu faGshah is itself buried
In the s,ii, and icles tuf.ed with yak,' tails
mark tLe spot Of the grave. But the monastery
aud some alm-houses AROUND are Duilt on small
clenr spaces on the plan, which appear here
ANA there among the heaps II sand, and form as
II were ianss' running ~ the direcn9n Of tue
march OF the -ind dunes. Tue confident faith
OF the yeuer4ble shelhn VINO presldes over the
MONASTERY remsins unsnaken .! tue ruins winch
surround him. he blessed shrine mas SUR
vived the yicssituIes If eieht centuries" he
SAID, IN rcply to our foreOodings OF the danger
threatening It's existence; and, ole 'se God, II
viii survive 70 the end Of the word" Pundil,
who was Of Sir Douglas FOr-yth's party, vsite
the ruin near kiTia and brought him TWO nsurrs
which hsd been dlg W, one IN Image VI BIdd-
la, aud .ue other clay figure Of HunOotuau,
the u.ruk.y god. Another man, named Ram
thunl. who was ueputed 10 visit khOtan, brought
back gold nncer-rng. ana nose rings, iron coins
apparently OF liefncus, the last KING Of lactrla
in thr H. century Il. e. aud several gold CONS
OF the Iei.u 4 Constans IL. ana Pogo nlius
ucImpN-. Jusiinu-. Autlmd nus, and lbeudo-
sus. "Ine buried cile- prop.r are at a dis
lance muuy ualcnps e 81 81 khOtdn. a dis
cIypry of btfiel ruins has however, lately heeI
made uuite lose - ilchi. tue city at khOtas AT
dist nee ul ipur mile. to the u ir,uWe-t. 4
rultiydtDr. working IN The fields, WIS watering
ms Gro, ana lphul the water dlrappear- u ia
tois Whifu absorbed II entirely. On digging e
examine tue nll,. ne found u gold ornamen
representing the n-ufe VI COW. News Of tuii
ro,CneL the ears of m Goyernor OF khotau
VINO uri-rrd excavation, to be made, and golu
ornauic III, ana CONS we've found. Ia tue month
OF AprL l-li, ABOUT the tine when Ram Chunt
Wis fu.ro. "A gold ORR tiuent, Weighing about Fix
teen pouf,ds, was found. II Was IN the shape o
small VASE. ana ha1 chain attached - II
NumOr declared II To be "A neck ornament Of til,
great AirasiaD, ana The lnder " declared I,
have III. utOn the spot where Afrasiab's tTeasur,
was Uuti- h..