t 



TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 661 



rapid communication to China, if she desire to retain possession of her north-west 

 provinces and Kashgaria, is pointed out. From Si-nan-fu the route turns to the 

 north-west and leaves the fertile loess valley of the Wei to traverse the once fertile 

 but now devastated and depopulated hills and valleys of Shensi and Kansuh to the 

 conKnes of the Gobi desert at An-si-chow. The description of the route which 

 crosses passes elevated 10,000 feet is followed by that of the Gobi route to Hami. 

 In conjunction with them are considered the lateral communications, resources of 

 the district in coal, &c., and the inhabitants both of this wedge of cultivation held 

 by the Chinese in the past as a means of gaining access into Central Asia, and of 

 its lateral mountains and deserts. The importance of this bottle-shaped portion of 

 Kansuh, the one and only natural route between the extreme east and the extreme 

 west, as a means of communication between Central Asia and Mid-China, is pointed 

 out, and its fitness for a railway route and its influence over such on our Chinese 

 trade, discussed. From Ilami the route over the Tian-shan to Rarkul and through 

 this range and along its northern glacis slopes to Hung-miot-za is described, as well 

 as the falling away of this great range here, and the natural access that at this 

 point exists between the Tian-shan-peh-lu and the Tian-shan-nan-lu, i.e. the two 

 great historical routes from Hami to the north and south of the Tian-shan range. 

 This section of the Central Asian trade route and of the Tian-shan range with its 

 arid deserts and paradises of oases has not been previously described in detail. 



An account of the Tian-shan-peh-lu and nan-lu is followed by a few remarks 

 on the routes into Ilussian Turkistan and Ladakh from Kashgar and Yarkand. As 

 China is of interest to Great Britain as a possible military ally in the future, and 

 as a present certain and important commercial one, the study of the political 

 geograpliy of the country traversed by this most important cart route of the past 

 and coming railway one in the future is a very necessary one to our Eastern inter- 

 ests, and requisite to enable us to foresee coming events and to mould them to our 

 advantage. As an incentive to this study the paper on this trade route has been 

 prepared. 



A short summary of the various sections of the route as traversed is here 

 given : — 



From Peking the route runs over the great plain of Chili for seven days (218 

 miles) to Whailu, and thence for five days over the hills separating Chili from 

 Shansi, about 130 miles broad and passing over heights of 4,500 feet to Tai- 

 yuen-fu. This belt of hills, of loess, extends from the Nan-kow Pass on the 

 Peking-Kalgan road in a south-west direction to the Yellow River, and is crossed 

 by carts only at this crossing-point, and on the Tung-kwan, Honan-route, i.e. 

 the Yellow River route. The hills are cut up into numberless ravines, and in them 

 it is ditlicult to move anywhere off a few tracks. Shansi, now traversed, is rich in 

 coal and iron, but does not grow enough grain for its own consumption. Between 

 Tai-yuen-fu and Si-nan-fu the valley roads are similar to those over the loesa 

 hills, and a difficult range, at the Ham-sin-ling pass elevated 4,000 feet, is crossed 

 between the Tai-yuen-fu and Ping-yang-fu basins. The roads are but deep gullies, 

 8 feet to 10 feet wide and 30 feet to 50 feet deep, for miles. They are practically 

 suited for one line of traffic onlj' ; tshere is not a metalled road in the country. 

 Shensi produces abundance of grain. For days around Si-nan-fu the traveller 

 passes through one vast wheat-field. From Si-nan-fu, capital of Shensi, to Lan- 

 chow-fu, capital of Kansuh, 450 miles, the road passes over a difficult, hilly 

 country, over heights of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, and being during the greater part 

 of the time at an elevation of 0,000 to 7.000 feet. The road is at times a fine 

 highway, at others a deep gully ; its inclines are steep ; the greater part of the 

 country is depopulated and its villages destroyed ; a few of the walled towns have 

 alone escaped the Mahammadan rebellion. No confidence has returned to the 

 people, for it is fourteen years since the rebellion ceased and the land is still un- 

 titled ; the Mahammadans, braver than the Heathen Chinee, are feared by them. 

 These considerations give some idea of the present weak connection that exists 

 between China and Kansuh. Between Lan-chow-fu and Su-chow, 482 miles, the 

 road twice passes over heights of 8,000 to t),000 feet by easy and gradral ascents and 

 descents. For a part of this distance only it passes through a narrow s^rip of cul- 



