122 G. G. Hubbard — Air and Water, Temperature and Life. 



traversed b}^ a high range of mountains, culminating in the 

 Taghama, 25,500 feet in height. The Pamir was the only bar- 

 rier Alexander could not pass. Now, the English, the Russians 

 and the Chinese meet on this plateau and struggle for the con- 

 trol of Asia. From it branch all the great mountain ranges of 

 Asia. 



The Hindu Kush range runs west through Afghanistan, be- 

 tween Persia and Turkestan, along the southern shore of the 

 Caspian sea, culminating in mount Ararat, thence as the Cau- 

 casus mountains to the Black sea, while a spur of this chain 

 follows the southern shores of the Black sea to the Mediterra- 

 nean. The Himalayas run a little south of east from the 

 southern part of the Pamir for 1,500 miles, separating India 

 from Tibet and China. 



The Kuen Luen range, sometimes considered as an extension 

 of the Hindu Kush, runs from the middle of the Pamir through 

 western and part of central China for 2,700 miles. The Thian 

 Shan runs from the northern end of the Pamir northeast, sepa- 

 rating Tarim and INIongolia from Siberia. As it approaches the 

 ocean it turns toward the north and ends in Kamchatka, forming 

 the great divide between the waters of the Arctic and Pacific 

 oceans. Between these mountain ranges are elevated plateaus, 

 and the former dominate the rainfall and temperature of the 

 continent. 



The steeper slope of the mountains of Asia is toward the In- 

 dian ocean. Between the Himalayas and Kuen Luen ranges 

 and running from the Pamir east is the highest and longest 

 plateau in the world, varying from 17,000 to 10,000 feet, its 

 lowest elevation. 



Above this plain the mountains tower from 4,000 to 18,000 

 feet. Their summits are covered with everlasting snow from 

 8,000 to 10,000 feet below their crests. Here is truly the " abode 

 of the snow." This plateau, from its height and position be- 

 tween two ranges of mountains, is cold in winter and hot in 

 summer. This is Tibet, the land of the Llama. Here all the 

 great rivers that empty into the Pacific and Indian oceans, ex- 

 cepting the Yukon, the Columbia, the Colorado, and the Zam- 

 besi, have their source. 



In the western part of Tibet the Indus and Brahmaputra rise, 

 one running west through a i^ass 14,000 feet in height into 

 India ; the other running east, through passes thus far inacces- 



