78 STEPPES AND DESERTS. 



The barometer, however, soon taught me that the plains through 

 which the Upper Irtysh flows, between Ustkamenogorsk and the 

 Chinese Dzungarian Post, Chonimailachu, (sheep-bleating,) are 

 scarcely raised 850, or at the most 1170, feet above the level of the 

 sea. Pansner's older barometric measurements (which, however, 

 were not published until after my expedition) are confirmed by 

 mine. Both refute the hypothesis of Chappe, relative to the supposed 

 high elevation of the banks of the Irtysh, in Southern Siberia; an 

 hypothesis based on estimations of river declivities. Even further 

 to the East, Lake Baikal is only 222 toises, or 1420 English feet, 

 above the level of the sea. 



In order to connect the idea of the relation of the terms lowlands 

 and highlands, and of the various gradations in the height of ele- 

 vated plains or undulating grounds, with actual examples ascertained 

 by measurement, I have subjoined a table, forming an ascending 

 scale of such districts in different parts of the globe. What I 

 have said above respecting the mean height of those Asiatic plains, 

 which I have termed lowlands, may be compared with the following 

 numbers : 



Toises. English feet. 



Plateau of Auvergne . .'^ 3 V . . 7 170 1087 



of Bavaria . y^rVi^- . . . ". 260 " 1663 



ofCastUle-. .;*&!## / .. . . 350 2239 



" of Mysore \,;. .p* .-...'. . . . 460 2942 



of Caraccas 480 3070 



" of Popayan 900 5756 



" round Lake Tzana (in Abyssinia) . 950 6076 



of the Orange River (in South Africa) 1000 6395 



of Axum (in Abyssinia) . . . .1100 7034 



M of Mexico .-- 1170 7483 



" of Quito 1490 9528 



of the Province de los Pastos . . . 1600 10231 



*'* ' round Lake Titiaca . . . . . .2010 12853 



No portion of the so-called Desert of Gobi (parts of which con- 

 tain fine pastures) has been so thoroughly explored in respect to the 

 differences of elevation as the zone, of nearly 600 geographical 

 miles in breadth, between the sources of the Selenga and the great 

 Wall of China. A very exact series of barometric levellings was 



