Volcanoes qf Central Asia. 149 



at tlie foot of the Alps, are a phenomenon analogous to the ca- 

 vity in which the Caspian Sea is situated, and owe in the same 

 manner their origin to a sinking of the land. We shall soon 

 see that it is principally in the compass of this hollow, conse- 

 quently in the space where the resistance was least, that recent 

 traces of volcanic action are apparent. 



The position of mount Aral-toube, which formerly emitted 

 fire, of the existence of which I became aware from the itine- 

 raries of Colonel Gens, becomes more interesting when we com- 

 pare it with that of the volcanoes of Pechan and Ho-tcheou, on 

 the northern and southern sides of the Teen-shan, with that of 

 the solfatara of Ouroumtsi, and with that of the adjoining chasm 

 of lake Darlai, which exhales ammoniacal vapours. The re- 

 searches of MM. Klaproth and Remusat acquainted us with 

 this last fact upwards of six years ago. 



The volcano situated in about the latitude of 42° W or 42° 35', 

 between Korgos, on the banks of the Ele, and Kouche, in Little 

 Bucharia, belongs to the chain of the Teen-shan : perhaps it 

 may be on the northern face, three degrees to the eastward of 

 lake Yssi-kul or Tremoortu. Chinese authors call it Pih-shan 

 (" White Mountain""), Ho-shan, and Aghi (" Fiery Moun- 

 tain ")*. It is not known with certainty whether the name of Pih- 

 slian implies that its summit reaches the line of perpetual snow, 

 which the height of this mountain would determine, at least the 

 minimum ; or whether it merely denotes the glittering hue of a 



• The details given M. Klaproth {Tall. Hist, de VAsie, p. 110 ; Mem. re- 

 latifs k I'Asie, t. ii. p. 358) are the most complete, and derived principally 

 from the history of the Ming dynasty. M. Abel-Remusat (Jbwm. Asiat. t. v« 

 p. 45 ; Descrip. de Khotan^ t. ii. p. 9), has added more in the Japanese trans- 

 lation of the grand Chinese Encyclopedia. The root ag, which is found in 

 the word Aghi, according to M. Klaproth, signifies " fire" in Hindustani. 

 To the south of Pih-shan, in the neighbourhood of Khoten, belonging to the 

 Teen-shan-nar-lu, there can be no doubt that, prior to our era, Sanscrit was 

 spoken, or a language possessing a strong analogy with it : but in Sanscrit a 

 flaming mountain is called Agni-ghri. According to M. Bopp, Aghi is not a 

 Sancrit word. — Humboldt 



The root ag, which is found in the word Aghi, signifies " fire" in all the 

 dialects of Hindustan ; this element is ag in Hindustani, agh in Mahratta, 

 and the form of agi is still preserved in the dialect of the Punjab. The word 

 agni, by which " fire" is commonly designated in Sanscrit, belongs to the same 

 jtoot, as well as agun in Bengalee, ogun in Russian, and the ignis of the 

 Latins.-.KLAr&OTu. 



