"It Is The Latter Fact Which Makes Me Believe That Professor H. Cordier
Was Right In Tracing By This Very Route Marco Polo's Itinerary From The
Central Pamirs To Kashgar.
The Venetian traveller, coming from Wakhan,
reached, after three days, a great lake which may be either Lake Victoria
Or Lake Chakmak, at a 'height that is said to be the highest place in the
world.' He then describes faithfully enough the desert plain called
'Pamier,' which he makes extend for the distance of a twelve days' ride,
and next tells us: 'Now, if we go on with our journey towards the
east-north-east, we travel a good forty days, continually passing over
mountains and hills, or through valleys, and crossing many rivers and
tracts of wilderness. And in all this way you find neither habitation of
man, nor any green thing, but must carry with you whatever you require.'
"This reference to continuous 'tracts of wilderness' shows clearly that,
for one reason or another, Marco Polo did not pass through the cultivated
valleys of Tash-kurghan or Tagharma, as he would necessarily have done if
his route to Kashgar, the region he next describes, had lain over the
Chichiklik Pass. We must assume that, after visiting either the Great or
Little Pamir, he travelled down the Ak-su river for some distance, and
then crossing the watershed eastwards by one of the numerous passes struck
the route which leads past Muztagh-Ata and on towards the Gez defile.
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