ASIATIC GEOGRAPHY. 361 



remark : — " In proceeding from Semipolatinsk to Jer- CHAPTER 



kend, when we were arrived at the Lake Ala-koul or ^-^^^^ 



Ala-dinghiz, a little to the north-east of the great Lake 



Balkachi, which receives the waters of the Ele, we saw 



a very high mountain which formerly vomited fire. Old volcano. 



Even now this mountain, which rises in the Lake like a 



little island, occasions violent storms which incommode 



the caravans. For this reason some sheep are sacrificed 



to this old volcano by those who pass it." 



This account which was obtained from a Tartar who interesting 

 travelled at the commencement of the present century, '"1^"^'^ 

 excited a lively interest in the mind of Humboldt, more 

 especially as it suggested some probable authority for the 

 accounts of bui-ning volcanoes in the interior of Asia, 

 made known through the researches of Abel Remusat 

 and Klaproth in Chinese books, and the great distance 

 of which from the sea has excited so much surprise. 

 Soon after his departure fi-om Petersburg he received 

 from M. de Klosterman, imperial director of police at 

 Semipolatinsk, the following particulars which were ob- 

 tained from Bucharians and Tachkendis ; — 



" The route from Semipolatinsk to Kouldja is twenty- Information 

 five days. It passes by the mountains Alachan and '^'^ ^^ ^ 

 Kondegatay, in the steppe of the JMiddle Horde of the 

 Kirghiz the borders of the Lake Savande-koul, the 

 Tarbagatai IMountains in Zungaria, and the river Emyl. 

 When it has been traversed, the road unites with that 

 which leads from Tchougeutchak to the province of Ele, 

 From the banks of the Emyl to the Lake Ala-koul the 

 distance is 39? miles. The Tartars estimate the distance 

 of this lake from Semipolatinsk at 301 miles. It is to 

 the right of the road, and extends from east to west 66i 

 miles. In the midst of this lake rises a very high 

 mountain named Aral-toube. From this to the Chinese 

 post, situated between the little Lake Janalache-koul 

 and the river Baratara, on the banks of which reside 

 Kalmucks, are reckoned 36 miles." 



It is evident that the same mountain is alluded to in 



