440 SOUTHERN DZUNGARIA 



might be easih^ misled as to the population and import- 

 ance of this region ; for Manas itself is merely the trade- 

 centre of a large agricultural district, the population 

 being scattered over the surrounding country in small 

 villages and isolated farms. This is the best and richest 

 farming country of the Pei-lu, for here is an unlimited 

 area of the finest soil extending along the banks of a 

 big river, at the point where it leaves its mountain- 

 gorge and spreads itself out in many channels over the 

 plain, thus rendering irrigation easy. The water-supply is 

 reliable ; even in the driest season there is a surplus of 

 water, which finds its way to the deserts below and 

 there evaporates. At the most critical season of the 

 year, when the crops most need water, the alpine 

 regions of the great ranges to the south send down 

 their melted snows in such abundance, that the river 

 assumes almost dangerous proportions. We could 

 scarcely believe that the mile-wide shingle-bed we 

 crossed just outside the town, — almost without realizing 

 that it was the bed of a river, — could later on be trans- 

 formed into a flood which would hinder traffic and 

 cut off communication for days together. Yet in July 

 and August the Manas River rises to this extent, and 

 passenger traffic is only kept up by the employment of 

 high-wheeled carts especialty built for the purpose. 

 These ferry travellers across the river so long as the water 

 does not run too deep for the horses to find the bottom ; 

 when this happens the blocked traffic causes the town of 

 Manas to become the centre of a busy scene, until the 

 flood lessens. 



The Manas region forms an area suitable for develop- 

 ment in the future, but irrigation works on a large scale 

 are necessary. There is land and water, an equable 



