INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 187G. cxiii 



An important step in the exploration of Central Asia has been 

 made by the expedition to Hissar under the direction of M. Mayef. 

 The party started from Karshi, in Bokhara, passing the Chakcha 

 Valley and the famous gorge known as the Iron Gate, near Darband. 

 This place had not been visited by Europeans since Clavijo's em- 

 bassy to the court of Tamerlane in 1404. They visited the towns 

 of Hissar and Faizabad, but were j^revented by illness among the 

 party from advancing, as had been intended, to the point of conflu- 

 ence of the Wakhsh and Panj Rivers, so as to fix its position astro- 

 nomically. The maps, when published, will be of great interest. 



The remaining unsurveyed portion of the Usboi, or old bed of the 

 Oxus, has been explored and mapped by an expedition under direc- 

 tion of the Caucasus section of the Russian Geographical Society. 



At a meeting of the Russian Geographical Society, March 15, 1876, 

 M. Sosnovsky gave an account of his recent journey through China 

 and Mongolia, by order of the Russian government, with the object 

 of opening new markets for Russian trade with Asia, and exploring 

 the route from Zaisang through Dzungaria and the province of Scech- 

 nen. The party set out from Kiakhta for Pekin, and reached Han- 

 kow in October, 1874. From here they ascended the Han-kiang 

 River, and, after traveling 800 miles by water and 1900 by land, 

 arrived at Zaisang, October 26, 1875, by way of Hanchung, Hami, 

 Barkul, and Guchen. This route can not but be of the utmost im- 

 portance as soon xis a railway shall have been built as far as Tinmen 

 and steamers navigate the Irtish River. 



During M. Sosnovsky's journey the position of twelve points was 

 determined by astronomical observations, complete series of mag- 

 netic observations were made at ten places, and the altitudes of nu- 

 merous points determined by barometer or by boiling-point. 



An account of the explorations by Lieutenant-Colonel Prejevalsky, 

 during 1870, 1871, 1872, and 1873, in Mongolia and Northern Thibet, 

 has been published during the past year. During the three years' 

 work his party traveled more than 7000 miles, about half of which 

 was laid down in routes surveyed for the first time. Numerous obser- 

 vations by barometer and boiling-point were made for altitude, and 

 the route surveys were checked by eighteen determinations of lati- 

 tude. The collection of plants, birds, animals, fishes, and insects was 

 very large and valuable, many of the species being new. 



Colonel Prejevalsky has commenced another journey through Tur- 

 kestan and Thibet, the results of which will probably be also of great 

 , value. His party started from Kulja on the 22d of August, 1876, 

 and, crossing the Thian - Shan Mountains, will proceed by way of 

 Karashah to Lob-Nor Lake, where they will spend the winter. He 

 will proceed to Lhasa, and explore the upper course of the Brahma- 

 pootra, the northern slopes of the Himalayas, Eastern Thibet, and 

 Southwestern China, returning if possible to Russia by way of West- 



