TRUE VOLCANOES- 337 



and 335-361). The length of the Thian-schan is eight times 

 greater than that of the Pyrenees, if we include the Asferah, 

 which is on the other side of the intersected meridian chain 

 of the Kusyurt-Bolor, stretching westward as far as the me- 

 ridian of Samarcand, and in which lbn Ilaukal and Ibn-al- 

 Vardi describe streams of lire, and notice luminous (?) fissures 

 emitting sal ammoniac (see the account of Mount Botom, ut 

 supra). In the history of the dynasty of Thang it is expressly 

 stated that on one of the slopes of the Pe-shan, which contin- 

 ually emits fire and smoke, the rocks burn, melt, and flow to 

 the distance of several //, like a "stream of melted fat. The 

 soft mass hardens as it cools." It is impossible to describe 

 more characteristically the appearance of a stream of lava. 

 Moreover, in the forty-ninth book of the great geography of 

 the Chinese empire, which was printed at Pekin from 1789 

 to 1804 at the expense of the state, the burning mountains 

 of the Thian-schan are described as "still active." Their 

 position is very central, being nearly equidistant (1520 geo- 

 graphical miles) from the nearest shore of the Frozen Ocean 

 and from the mouth of the Indus and Ganges, 1020 miles 

 from the Sea of Aral, 172 and 208 miles from the salt-lakes 

 of Issikal and Balkasch. Information respecting the flames 

 issuing from the mountain of Turfan (Hotscheu) has also been 

 furnished by the pilgrims of Mecca, who were officially exam- 

 ined at Bombay in the year 1835 (Journal of the Asiatic Soc. 

 of Bengal, vol. iv., 1835, p. 657—664). When may we hope 

 to see the volcanoes of Peschan and Turfan, Barkul and Hami 

 explored by some scientific traveler, by way of Gouldja on the 

 Hi, which may be easily reached ? 



The better knowledge now possessed of the position of the 

 volcanic mountain chain of the Thian-schan has very natu- 

 rally given rise to the question whether the fabulous terri- 

 tory of Gog and Magog, where "eternal fire" is said to burn 

 at the bottom of the River El Macher, is not in some way 

 connected with the eruptions of the Peschan or the volcano 

 of Turfan. This Oriental myth, which had its origin west- 

 ward of the Caspian Sea, in the Pylis Albania?, near Der- 

 bend, has traveled, like all other myths, far toward the East. 

 Edrisi gives an account of the journeyings of one Salam el 

 Terdjeman, the dragoman of one of the Abbasside califs, in 

 the first half of the 9th century, from Bagdad to the Land 

 of Darkness. He proceeded through the steppe of Baschkir 

 to the snowy mountain of Cocaia, which is surrounded by 

 the great wall of Magog (Madjoudj). Ame'dee Jaubert, to 



Vol. V.— -P 



