382 



MOUNTAINS OF CHINA. 



CHAPTER 

 JlXVIII. 



F.olor. 



Chinese 



mouutuins. 



Western 

 piolonffaiion 

 of the Thiau 

 Cliau. 



The case is very different with the country limited by 

 the second and third systems, the Tliiau Chan and Kwan- 

 lun ranges ; it being closed to tlie west by a transverse 

 ridge, whicli runs north and south, under the name of 

 Bolor or Beloot-taugh. This chain separates Little Bu- 

 charia from Great Bucharia, the country of Cashgar, 

 Badakshan, and Upper Djilioun. Its southern part, 

 wliich is connected with the Kwan-lun system, forms a 

 part of the Tsungling of the Chinese. To the north it 

 joins the chain which passes to the north-west of Cash- 

 gar. Between Khokand, Bervagel, and Hissar, conse- 

 quently between the still unknown sources of the Sihon 

 and Amou-deria, the Thian Chan rises before lowering 

 again in the Kanat of Bochara, and presents a group of 

 high mountains, several of whicli are covered with snow 

 even in summer. More to the east it is less elevated. 

 The road from Semipolatinsk to Cashgar passes to the east 

 of Lake Balkachi and to the/vvest of Lake Issi-koul, and 

 crosses the Narim, a tributary of the Sihon. At the dis- 

 tance of G94 miles from the Nairn to the south it passes 

 over the Rovat, which has a large cave, and is the highest 

 point before arriving at the Chinese post to the south of 

 the Aksou, the village of Artuche, and Cashgar. This 

 city, which is built on the banks of the Ara-tunien, has 

 15,000 houses and 80,000 inhabitants, although it is 

 smaller than Samarcand. 



Tile western prolongation of the Thiah Chan, or the 

 Mouz-taugh, is deserving of a particular examination. 

 At the point where the Bolor or Beloot-taugh joins the 

 Mouz-taugh at right angles, the latter continues to run 

 without interruption from east to west, under the name 

 of Asferali-taugh, to the south of the Sihon, towards 

 Kodjend and Ourat-eppeh in Ferganah. This chain of 

 Asferah, whicli is covered with perpetual snow, sepa- 

 rates the sources of the Sihon (Jaxartes) from tiiose of 

 the Amou (Oxus). It turns to the soutli-west nearly 

 in the meridian of Kodjend, and in this direction is 

 named, till it approaches Samarcand, Ak-taugh, or Al- 



