1835.] Memoir on Chinese Tartary and Khoten. 659 



marches, Tibet may be reached from Ydrkand in 17 or 18 days. 

 Thence to Kashmir, it takes a kafila 25 days ; but the journey, by 

 quick marches, may be performed in 15; there is plenty of wood, 

 water, and forage, on the road. 



To Auksu. — From Ydrkand to Auksd is 20 days travelling by cara- 

 van : and on the way are 17 Ortungs, at most of which there are 

 seven Chinese and 13 Usbeks ; but at some, there are more. The 

 road passes through a very woody country. 



Rivers. — There is a river near Ydrkand, the name of which is 

 Zurvfshan. It is generally frozen for three months in the winter ; 

 when horses, camels, and men may pass over it. From the part of 

 the country about Auksu two streams join the Zurufshan : one of 

 them flows five kos distant from Auksu, and the other is seven days' 

 journey from that place. 



Climate. — In the summer, when the melons ripen, it is very hot 

 in these countries ; but during winter, it is extremely cold. In this 

 season, a great deal of snow falls on the mountains, which are twenty 

 days' journey from Ydrkand; but in the city itself, very little falls. 

 It rains very rarely, only twice or thrice in the year, for an hour 

 or so ; and then the weather becomes very cold. 



Volcanoes — Sal- Ammoniac. — At the distance of 10 days' journey from 

 Auksu, are two very high ranges of mountains, between which there 

 is a vallev, the surface of which, to a considerable depth, is covered 

 with sal-ammoniac. There is a dreadful heat at this place, occasion- 

 ed by a volcano, which, by the people of the country, is called " God's 

 fire." The heat prevents them approaching it in the summer. During 

 the eruptions, the sal-ammoniac is said to be thrown out, and shower- 

 ed over the valley, like mist, to the distance of one kos ; it afterwards 

 hardens, and becomes, during the winter, crystallized like ice. People 

 go there in that season, cut it into convenient pieces, and carry it 

 away. It is said, that near old, or Koneh, Tdrfdn, also, is a mountain, 

 out of which flames of fire are seen to issue. 



Earthquakes — Cholera. — The natives state, that about three years 

 ago, there were constant earthquakes in the province ; and that the 

 cholera committed great ravages at Ydrkand. In Badakshdn, the 

 earthquakes destroyed a great number of houses and people. 



History of the Province. — About eighty years ago, the whole of the 

 country was in the hands of the Kalmuks, or Eleuths ; and there was 

 one Tiirah, or chief, in each district, as governor. The Kalmuks 

 were subsequently conquered by the Chinese in the reign of Kien 

 Lung, and the authority of the Emperor was established over the 

 ■whole province, For a long period after that event, the Chinese 



