Across the Roof of the World. 



large kitchen. The former were heated by means of the usual 

 Russian stove, a brickwork structure let into the wall in one corner. 

 When the fuel within is reduced to red hot ashes and all the smoke 

 has emerged from the outlet in the chimney, the latter is closed, 

 the heat engendered thereby warming the apartment. It takes, 

 however, some considerable time to attain this desirable stage, 

 so I had a small iron stove fitted in my bedroom, in which I could 

 put on a cheery blaze at short notice. 



The kit arrived at four in the afternoon, and after paying 

 off the transport, I settled down to a stay of some days in Kulja, 

 a "stand easy " I should appreciate after months of wandering 

 amongst the mountains, and the hard work necessitated during 

 my shoot in the Thian Shan. 



Before proceeding further it will be well to give an account of 

 the Hi Valley and Kulja, one of the most important sections of 

 the great area we designate under the name of Central Asia. 



The land watered by the three rivers, Tekkes, Kunges and 

 Kash, is known under the general appellation of Hi, and it may be 

 regarded as the most fertile portion of this part of the Chinese 

 Empire. It is not referred to as the Hi until after the junction 

 of the two head streams, the Tekkes and Kunges, the former of 

 which rises in the main range of the Thian Shan east of Lake 

 Issik Kul, and the latter in the Boro Khoro range to the north of 

 the main chain of the Thian Shan. The two rivers after union 

 form the Hi, which latter then flows on to empty its waters into 

 Lake Balkash, one of the largest lakes in Central Asia. The 

 entire country watered by these rivers is known as Hi, and its 

 rich and fertile character, coupled with the vicissitudes through 

 which it has passed, have rendered it a noteworthy province. 



The history of the region in question takes us back to the 

 days before the Christian era when a tribe, known as the Usun, 

 occupied tlie Hi Valley after engaging in unsuccessful warfare 

 with the Huns in IMongolia. As time passed on the power of the 

 Usun increased, until the date when the}^ encountered and suffered 

 defeat at the hands of more powerful neighbours, which brought 



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