THE LAND OF UNREST 379 



barrier between Dzungaria and Siberia; the barrier is, 

 however, sufficiently broken to permit of easy communica- 

 tion between the two countries. The Tarbagatai, the 

 Sair, the Urkashar, and BarUk groups, together with 

 the Ala-tau, form this northern frontier. They are 

 further described in another chapter. 



" Mountains," says Rickmers, in his description of the 

 physical features of the " Duab of Turkestan," " have 

 been called the skeleton of the land, being guiding-Hnes 

 to the eye; but we can extend the analogy to the backbone, 

 which is also the nerve-centre, and as such the ruling 

 influence in the development and vitality of a continent. 

 The solution of Asiatic problems lies in the mountains." 



The chief peculiarity of Dzungaria is its character as 

 a mountain-locked basin, the position of its encircling 

 ranges, in respect to the Siberian plains and the prevailing 

 moisture-laden winds, making Dzungaria subject to 

 phenomenal climatic conditions. The ranges surrounding 

 Dzungaria are peculiarly situated in comparison with other 

 mountainous regions of Inner Asia, for all these ranges, 

 whether in the north, south, or west, appear to exercise 

 a positive, and not a negative, influence (as is the case 

 with so many of the ranges in Central Asia) on the 

 country lying between them. 



The Tian Shan, for instance, receives a heavy rainfall 

 on its northern flank, which produces pine-forests and 

 pastures, while the southern side of the watershed is 

 a veritable abomination of desolation. This chain of 

 mountains supplies Southern Dzungaria with refreshing 

 summer rains, but at the same time minimizes the precipi- 

 tation on its southern flank in Chinese Turkestan. We 

 ourselves, whilst wandering in the desert zone at a distance 

 of fifty miles from the foot of the mountains, experi- 



