PET RES 
the Caspian are not beautiful, but low, round and arid- 
looking, they appear, as if scorched by the intense sunshine. 
No green was to be seen anywhere. It was delightful to get 
ashore and to glean our first impressions of nature in Asia. 
Plants were there on the mountains, although rather scat- 
tered; Gagea, Tetradiclis, Arnebia are here with many others, 
these are representative of three important forms of desert 
life: Geophytes, Halophytes and Annual Spring-Plants. There 
is scarcely time to observe more as the train soon starts 
eastwards and we bid the sea farewell for a long time to 
come. We pass through and across brown stony hills and 
flats with scattered bluish grey or green tufts of plants, foot- 
high Umbellifers and low leafless bushes. Then the sun sets. 
Next morning brings the finest sight we ever saw, the earth 
is covered with flowers, glowing poppies and tulips, green 
grass and Irises and many other flowers. Great flocks of birds 
soar in the air, and camels graze among the cupola-like 
“kibitkas” of the Turkomans. Towards the north the view 
is open, but to the south the low slaty heights of the Kopet 
Dagh on the Persian border, obstruct the view. 
We enjoyed this beautiful scene all day. Next day all 
was changed, for now the train speeds through the awe- 
inspiring waste of the sand-desert. It is as RADDE has said, 
a stormy sea frozen into stillness; enormous ocean-waves 
without motion, only the foam on the crests is active, it is 
the sand rising in clouds like smoke. As far as the eye can 
reach all is greyish-brown sand. Not a plant! Yes there is 
one, a grass on the top of a dune, its coarse leaves lashed 
by the wind. More come into view and then we look 
curiously at the Switch-plants. They stand in the loose sand 
which is whirled round them and their ‘Slender leafless 
branches are driven before the wind. In reality there are 
several species but they are all alike switches or rather 
small leafless birch brooms, and they are leafless, or look so 
at first sight. 
Then the train passes the Oxus or Amu Darya whose 
brown water coming from the Pamirs flows below us while we 
slowly cross the long bridge, which extends to 3 kilometres. 
