400 DZUNGARIA 



mountain-system — the Karlik Tagh. In summer we 

 again traversed Dzungaria in its central portion, visiting 

 the Western Kirei in their home on the Barhk and MaiU 

 ranges and the Charkhar Mongols in the Borotala Valley, 

 thus completing our investigation of the varied inhabi- 

 tants of Dzungaria. On July 23rd we returned to Kulja, 

 having thoroughly carried out our programme. 



Our objective on setting out from Sharasume was 

 the Chinese frontier town of Chuguchak, two hundred and 

 fifty miles distant, which we hoped to reach in eighteen 

 days, with the help of twelve Bactrian camels hired 

 through the medium of the ofhcials at Sharasume. Our 

 request for transport met with immediate response, but 

 we were given to understand that there was a fixed 

 rate of hire for such transport. This little incident 

 brought home to us that we were now travelling under 

 new conditions, and that Mongolia, with its tax of " free 

 transport for travellers " was a thing of the past. Dzun- 

 garia forms a portion of a vast western appanage of 

 China, only recently incorporated into a province, and 

 named Sin-Kiang — a term which means, literally, the 

 New Dominion ; it includes Chinese Turkestan, the Hi 

 Valley, and Dzungaria, and exists under the same ad- 

 ministration as does any province of China Proper. 

 Thus, Dzungaria is subject to China, and differs from 

 Mongolia, which is — or rather was — under the protection 

 of the Manchu rulers. 



Our route led us across the valleys of the lower Kran 

 and of the Black Irtish, a short distance to the east of the 

 point where the two valleys joined ; we found this region 

 to be one of vast reed-beds, lagoons, and sand-hills, 

 with belts of poplar and willow-trees bordering the 

 river-courses. The altitude was not more than 1,500 ft. 



