86 STEPPES AND DESEKTS. 



haiiser, T. v. p. 204) and even as early as Pherecydes of 

 Syros, a Scythian or Siberian Europe, including all the 

 countries to the north of the Caspian and of the laxartes ; 

 in this view it would be a continuation of Europe " pro- 

 longed to the north of Asia." 



1 . The great mountain system of the Altai, (the " gold 

 mountains" of Menander of Byzantium, an historical 

 writer who lived as early as the 7th century, the Altai-alin 

 of the Moguls, and the Kin-schan of the Chinese), forms 

 the southern boundary of the great Siberian lowlands ; and 

 running between 50 and 52-^ of north latitude, extends 

 from the rich silver mines of the Snake Mountains, and the con- 

 fluence of the Uba and the Irtysh, to the meridian of Lake 

 Baikal. The divisions and names of the " Great" and the 

 " Little Altai," taken from an obscure passage of Abulghasi, 

 are to be altogether avoided. (Asie Centrale,T. i. p. 247.) 

 The mountain system of the Altai comprehends (a) the Altai 

 proper, or Kolywanski Altai, the whole of which is under 

 the Russian sceptre ; it is west of the transverse opening of 

 the Telezki Lake, which follows the direction of the meridian ; 

 and in ante-historic times probably formed the eastern shore 

 of the great arm of the sea, by which, in the direction of the 

 still existing groups of lakes, Aksakal-Barbi and Sary-Kupa 

 (Asie Centrale, T. ii. p. 138), the Aralo-Caspian basin was 

 connected with the Icy sea : (b) East of the Telezki chain 

 which follows the direction of the meridian, the Sayani, 

 Tangnu, and Ulangom or Malakha chains, all running 

 tolerably parallel with each other and in an east and west 

 direction. The Tangnu, which sinks down and terminates 



