NORTH-WEST MONGOLIA AND CHINESE DZUNGARIA. 397 
C. DZUNGARIA. 
Itinerary and General Notes. 
South of the North-West Mongolian plateau lies an area of comparative 
lowland, bounded on the north hy the wall of the Great or Chinese Altai, 
and on the south by the main range of Tian Shan. The average altitude of 
the plain is about 1500 feet, the highest point being 4000 feet and lowest 
about 700 feet above the level of the sea. The area is drained in the south 
by rivers which flow iuto small evaporating basins, while most of the north is 
drained by the Upper or Black Irtish and finds its way ultimately to the 
Arctic. Towards the north-west, therefore, these plains of Dzungaria merge 
without any perceptible break into the lowlands of Western Siberia, There 
are, however, three ranges, namely, the Ala Tau, Barlik, and Sair mountains, 
which cross the plain from north-east to south-west, but which are disjointed 
and severed by intervening pieces of lowland, so that they do not form an 
effective barrier to the drainage northward. | Eastwards the steppes merge 
into the Gobi Desert of Central China. The Great Altai range, which 
bounds the Dzungarian plains on the north, runs south-eastwards towards 
the main range of the Tian Shan, which, in turn, runs east and west. A gap 
of over 100 miles separates the eastern extremities of these ranges, and thus 
the plains of Dzungaria pass into the plains of Central China without a break 
through this gap. 
Descending from the North-West Mongolian plateau and crossing the Great 
Altai range, the expedition reached the Chinese town of “ Sharasume,” or 
“Тина,” in Sept. 1910, on the southern foothills of the Great Altai 
mountains. The plains of the Black Irtish were then crossed, leaving Lake 
Ulun-gur to the east and reaching the valley of Kobuk. Here the southern 
offshoot of the Sair mountains was crossed, which is one of the disjointed 
ranges traversing the Dzungarian plain. Ultimately the Chinese town of 
* Chuguchak,” or “Tarbagatai,” was reached on the plains of the Emil, 
whence the route lay direct south to Kuldja, through the Dzungarian gap 
and over the Tian Shan. 
The floral associations of Dzungaria do not differ widely from those of the 
North-West Mongolian plateau. During the journey a large number of 
species were met with common to both districts, but it was found on pro- 
ceeding southwards that several new species began gradually to creep in. 
The more southern latitudes, which are exposed to drought and fierce heat 
of the sun in summer, create conditions favourable for the driest desert floral 
association. 
After leaving the town of “Sharasume,” an area of rugged, stony hills 
was traversed, covered with desert floral association, which was in every way 
typical of those described in North-West Mongolia. Thus the following 
species were collected in considerable abundance :— Artemisia Lercheana, 
