614 KEPOBT— 1882. 



2. A series of lieiglits and depressions almost like the steps of a staircase witliin 

 the mountainous circumvallation of the plateau. 



3. The sources and the permanent supply of rivers -which, passing from the 

 plateau, flow through densely populated regions, and help to sustain the most 

 numerous families of the human race. 



4. A lacustrine system, comprising lakes of which some are saline while others 

 have fresh water, aud of which many are situated at great altitudes. 



5. The home of conquering races, whence warrior hordes poured during several 

 centuries over nearly all Asia and a large part of Europe. 



6. Natural products of value, variety, or interest, and pastoral resources suscep- 

 tihle of indefinite development. 



7. An enormous field for scientific research, with many regions which, though 

 not wholly undiscovered, yet need much further discovery. 



8. An imperial jurisdiction otfering many problems for the consideration of 

 social inquirers. 



I shall now oflier a brief explanation regarding each of the eight points stated 

 above. 



In the first place it will be seen from the diagi-am that the plateau, in shape 

 somewhat of an irregular rhomboid, is completel}' enclosed by six grand ranges of 

 mountains, namely the Himalayas looking south towards India, the Pamir looking 

 west towards Central Asia, the Altai looking north towards Siberia, the Yablonoi 

 looking north-enst towards Eastern Siberia, the Yun-ling and the Inshan (inclusive 

 of the Khingan), looking towards China. These several ranges preserve generally a 

 considerable altitude varying from 6,000 to 25,000 feet above sea-level, and reaching 

 ' in the Himalayas to more than 29,000 feet. The tallest of these summits have 

 been accurately measured by tiie Great Trigonometrical Survey of India. Their 

 altitude is about double that of the highest mountains in Europe, and surpasses any 

 altitude yet observed in any quarter of the globe. But as a great part of these 

 several ranges is as yet unsurveyed by trigonometry, it is possible that still greater 

 heights may be discovered, and that ' Excelsior ' may be the proud answer rendered 

 by the everlasting hills to human investigation. 



Kegardiug these and the other chains yet to be mentioned, it must be borne in 

 mind that there are many cross ranges and transverse lines of mountains. Even the 

 chains, too, often consist of detached groups separated by deep valleys. It is by 

 observing the position of the groups relatively to one another that the tendency of 

 the chain can be discerned. 



Such being the outer barriers of our plateau, there are within it two great ranges 

 mainly parallel and running from west to east, namely the Kuen-lun and the Thian 

 Shan. 



While the Ilimalaj^as form the southern flank of the great Tibetan upland, 

 the Kuen-lun constitutes the northern. The modicum of knowledge possessed by 

 us regarding the Kuen-lun, a most important factor in the geography of our 

 plateau, is largely due to the praiseworthy travels of the Russian Prejevalsky. 

 This range may be said in a certain sense to overlook the Tarim basin ending in 

 Lake Lob, though the mountains are actually distant more than a hundred miles 

 from that lake. It forms the southern boundary of the Tarim basin, which coatains 

 some of the few beautiful tracts in our plateau. If there be such a thing as a back- 

 bone to these regions, or anything like a dorsal ridge, it consists of the Kuen-lun. 



The Thian Shan starts from the Pamir, and runs westward for full 1,500 miles, 

 till it joins with some of its spurs the uplands of Mongolia proper, or touches with 

 others the dreary desert of Gobi. As the Kuen-lun forms the southern boundary 

 of the Tarim basin, so the Thian Shan constitutes the northern. 



Connected with the north-western part of the Himalayas is another range which 

 some regard as an oftshoot, but which others treat separately under the name of 

 Karalcuram. Together with the Himalayas it joins the Pamir. 



Thus three of the greatest mountain ranges in Asia converge upon the Pamir, 

 or according to some are there interlaced ; namely the Himalayas, the Kuen-lun, 

 and the Thian Shan, to which perhaps two others might be added, namely th^ 

 Karakuram just mentioned and the Altai. But it may be more accurately said 



