The Dtiab of Turkestan. A Physiographic Sketch and 

 Account of Some Travels. By W. Rickmer Rickmers. 



Large Royal 8vo. pp. xvi + 564. With 37 maps and diagrams, and 

 170 illustrations. Price 30J'. net. 



Publishers Note 



In this book the author has attempted to combine a 

 record of exploration with the teaching' of a httle elementary 

 physiography. Mr Rickmers has specially devoted himself 

 to the exploration of a little-known region, viz. the wide 

 mountain expanse of the Alai-Pamirs or Upper Bokhara. 

 But the scope of his work also includes the more familiar 

 portions of Russian Turkestan, such as Ferghana, Samarkand, 

 the Sea of Aral, as well as the great steppes and deserts. 

 These various geographic elements are grouped together 

 in the natural organic system of the Duab of Turkestan (or 

 Land between the two Rivers) between Oxus and Jaxartes. 

 This part of Asia is conceived in the light of a grand 

 physical individual under the uniform sway of pronounced 

 topographical and climatic conditions. The action and inter- 

 action of natural forces, the battles between the mountains 

 and the plains, between moisture and dryness, and their 

 influence upon organic life, humanity and history are described 

 under the guidance of a fundamental theme. Everywhere the 

 connections between the parts and their relation to the whole 

 are kept in mind. 



Apart from a few systematic introductory chapters the 

 information is strung upon the thread of an interesting story 

 of travel and mountain exploration. The author has endea- 

 voured to make the contents as varied as possible withouf 

 detracting from the serious treatment of geographical problems. 

 Thus the necessary explanations are relieved by descriptions 

 of sport and landscape, scenes of native life, humorous side- 

 lights and a few adventures. 



The more theoretical questions are treated in an appendix 

 chiefly concerned with climate in its relations to the features 

 of the country, snow line, forest, glaciation, desiccation, loess 

 and desert, winding up with an inquiry into climate as cause 

 and effect. Here the author has laid down some theories of 

 his own, the most important of which grapples with the great 

 problem of the desiccation oi Central Asia. 



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