376 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



Jeyhoon or Amou, which flows to the west and north ; 

 and further on, where the Gakchal mountains curve 

 from north to east, joining the Moussour and Thian- 

 chan Chains, continued fronts of elevated glaciers pass 

 on, in a north-eastern direction, till they subside in the 

 Gobi Desert. From the glacier of Moustach issues the 

 Jaxartes, flowing on to the sea of Aral. From longitude 

 70 to 80 east, there are only three practicable passes 

 to the west ; all further eastward, as well as the river, 

 are turned to the north. From the nucleus of Irin 

 Khabirgan, above the sources of the He river, east of 

 the city Hi, passes a subordinate chain of high lands, 

 leaving Lake Balkach to the west, and soon after 

 (about lat. 49), turning likewise to the north and east, 

 joins the little Altai, and constitutes a second table 

 land, till it is united with the clustering ranges about 

 Lake Baikal. We need not pursue this description 

 further eastward, but confine our observations, by 

 stating, that from the east to the south-west, a cross 

 range, under various names, separates the Gobi Desert 

 from the plains of Thibet, a great part of which is 

 still geographically unknown, though here also, as on 

 the west of the great table land, rivers of considerable 

 size, among which another He and the Kachgar Yar- 

 kiang terminate in lakes, or are absorbed in the sands, 

 having frequently, in their upper courses, fertile vales 

 and habitable glens. 



It is on and around the regions here slightly traced 

 out, that it becomes evident the filiations of the 

 bearded stock should not be viewed solely through the 



