THE LAND OF UNREST 381 



Dzungaria that causes the locality to be such a well- 

 favoured one, for of its total area only one-tenth is un- 

 productive. The course of desiccation, now in progress 

 in Chinese Turkestan, does not extend to Dzungaria ; no 

 sand-buried cities or dying forests are to be found ; and, 

 as far as we could judge, the rivers extend as far out into 

 the plain as they have done during a very long period. 



The hydrography of Dzungaria is also peculiar. The 

 entire drainage from the encircling mountain-ranges is 

 caught by self-contained lake-basins, with the exception 

 of a portion of the Altai which drains, by way of the 

 Irtish River, into the Arctic Ocean. Much water drains 

 from the surrounding ranges into the plain, but, on 

 reaching it, the majority disappears below the surface, to 

 reappear again at the level of the lakes. The main rivers 

 of Dzungaria, namely, the Borotala, the Emil, the Manas, 

 and the Urungu, succeed in passing the belt of gravel and 

 reach their destinations above ground, carving out for 

 themselves deep ravines in the soft clay of the plains. 



Between the highlands and the plain lies a zone of 

 country neither mountain nor desert, free from extremes 

 of climate, and rendered suitable for man's use by its 

 admirable position. This zone is to be found in charac- 

 teristic form along the northern foot-hills of the Tian 

 Shan, where rivers from the snow-clad ranges to the 

 south pour down their waters through innumerable 

 valleys on to the plain, thus supplying material for the 

 carrying out of irrigation schemes. The area of land 

 rendered productive by these means is very consider- 

 able, and by systematic irrigation a still greater area 

 could be brought into use. The Manas River, for instance, 

 wastes itself by evaporation in the Telli Nor, while 

 pregnant lands on either bank lie dry and unutilized. 



