The Portland daily press., 1877-04-18
From the London MALL
Cities Buried in Sands,

During his recent mission to Kashgar. Sir 1.
Douglas Forsyth became much interested IN
tho buried cities of the Cobb desert, eastern
Turkestan. which are now coming to light In
q paper on the subject, Sir Douglas mentions
shat when Mr.. johnson returned to India from
his venturesome journey to Khotan, he brought
an account Of visit to an ancient city not Tar
from Kiria, and five marches distant from
Khotan, which had been buried in the sand for
centuries, and from which gold and silver or
naments and even bricks of tea were dug up.
Little information as to these cities could be
gathered during the first visit to Yarkom in
1870, but more searching inquiry was made ON
the occasion of the second visit TIL ZEE years lat
or, and Marco Polo is placed at the head Of
list of authorities which had been previously
consulted. Khotan, which is supposed by some
to be the limit of Darius conquest was In
early ages inhabited by political exiles from
India, 80 that the Hindoo religion hourished
and have some gold ornaments found there,
which are exactly the same as those worn by
the Hindoo women of the present day. In
Remusat's history We read how the king of
Khotsn took an army across the snowy noun
tains and attacked the king of Kashmir, and
how peace was made between the two countries
and the result was that certain Rahaus or AS
oetics brought the Buddhist religion into the
country, and in the 'Tarlkhi Rashidf we read
how Christian queen, wife of Koshluk, ruled
In the land and made proselytes to her relig-
ion.''
The shifting sands beneath which many
cities are buried are thus spoken of by Col.
Prejevalsk: "The sands are a succession of hill
locks, 40, 80, rarely 100 feet high, lying side by
side, and composed of yellow sand. The upper
stratum of this sand when disturbed by the
wind blowing on either side of the hills, forms
loose drifts, which have the appearance of snow
drifts. The effect of these bare hillocks is
more dreary and depressing when you are
among them and can see nothing but the sky
and the sand; not plant, not an animal is
visible with the single exception of yellowish
gray lizards, which trail their bodies over the
loose soil, and mark it with the patterns of
their tracks. A dull heaviness Expresses the
senses in this inanimate sea of sand. No sounds
are heard, not even the chirping of the grass
hopper, the silence of the tomb surrounds you.
No wonder that the local Monguls relate some
marvellous stories about these frightful deserts.
They tell you that it was the scene of the prin-
cipal exploits of two heroes-Gissar Khan and
Chinghiz Khan-and how here these warriors
fought against the Chinese and slew countless
numbers, whose bodies God caused the winds
TO cover with sands from the desert. To this
day the Monguls relate with supersttious awe
how cries and groans may be heard in the
sands of Kugupchl, which proceed from the
spirits of the departed; and that every now and
then the winds which stir up the sand expose
to view different treasures such as silver dishes,
which although conspicuous above the surface
may not be taken away, because death would
Immediately overtake the bold man who ven
tured to touch them.
In the course of his journey Sir Douglas For
syth passed various post stages, deserted owing
to the advancing sands, and tenements, still oc-
cupied, at Oodum Padshah, although in course
of submergence, while the roofs of neighboring
buildings had been crushed in by the sand.
The process of submergence is usually very
so broken by the obstructing object, that its
loose materials subsde and overwhelm the OBJ
struction. The sand dunes are formed by the
action of the periodical north and northwest
winds which blow over the plain during the
spring months The rate of progress it was
impossible to determine, but the phenomenon,
as seen in course of operation, explained the
manner in which great cities, such as Lop.
katak and Others in the same territory, had
been destroyed in flood of sand. Frequently
the Inhabitants of houses, in the desire to stay
by their homes till theilast hour, are enclosed in
living tombs. That this did actually occur at
Katak in many instances is evinced by the
skeletons and desiccated bodies which are still
their apparel and furniture intact and unin-
jured, as is told with apparent truth by the
shephsrds who roam that spot at the present
day:
led IN the sand, and poles tufted with yaks
tails mark the spot of the grave, But the mon
astery and some almshouses around are built
on small clear spaces on the plain, which ap-
pear here and there among the heaps of sand.
and form as it were lanes, running in the drec-
eiUu VI LILO u6ICu Ol LILO Shuu UuH6o. Lie COuu-
dent faith of the venerable sheikh who presides
over the monastery, remains mistaken by the
ruins which surround him. 1.-THE blessed
shrine has survived the vicisstudes of eight
centuries" he said, in reply to our forebodings
Of the danger threatening its existence; land,
please God, it will survive to the end of the
world" Pundit, who was one OF Sir Douglas
Forsyth's party, visited the ruin near Kiria
and brought him two figures which had been
dug mp, one an image of Buddha, and the
other clay figure of Hunooman, the monkey
god. Another man, named Ram Chound, who
was deputied to visit Khotan, brought back
gold finger rings and nose rings iron coins ap-
parently OF Herm@us, the last king of Bactria,
In the first century B. c., and several gold
coins OF the reign of Constans IL and Pogonat-
us, Hermaus, Justnus, Autmarchus and
TheodOsius "The buried cities proper are
ct q distance many marches east of Khotan.
a discovery OF buried ruins has, however.
lately been made quite close to Ilch the city
OF khotas at distance of four miles to the
northwest A cultiyator working in the fields
was watering his crop, and found the water
disappeared IN a hole which absorbed it en-
tirely. On digging to examine the hole he
found gold ornament representing the figure
OF COW. News of this reached the ears of the
governor OF Khotan, who ordered excavations
to be made, and gold ornaments and coins
about the time when Ram Chound was there,
gold ornament weighing about 16 pounds,
was found. It was in the shape of small
vase, and had chain attached to it. Rumor
declared it to be neck ornament of the great
Afrasiab and the finder was declared to have
hit upon the spot where Afrasisb's treasure
was buried"