1866. ] Russian Geographical Operations in Asia. 19 
of Khokan, ought to be shifted, on the map, half a degree towards 
the south, and one degree towards the east ; the town of Turkestan at 
least a degree and a half towards the south, &e. Similar changes are 
equally necessary for many other points. The eastern part of this 
region is essentially mountainous. The principal chain of mountains 
is found to be a western branch of the Tian Chan; its direction is 
from east to west from the lake Issik Koul, down to the lower course 
of the Syr-Daria; these mountains were vaguely known under the 
general name of Karataou. They may be divided into three groups, 
the chain of the Kentchi-Alataou, the chain called Alexandrowskaia, 
and that of Kazikourt. 
The Kentchi-Alataou consists of two parallel chains, which follow 
the northern bank of the Issik Koul; they are separated (on the east 
of the Issik Koul) from the Tian Chan by the Pass of San Tasch ; 
their greatest height is 14,000 feet. From this range, a lower range 
trends in a north-western direction, separating the waters of the Ili 
from those of the Tchou. 
The second group, the Alexandrowskaia, or the Alataou-Kirghisnyn 
chain, whose summits are covered with perpetual snow, joins the first 
at the defile of Baoum, on the western extremity of the Issik-Koul ; 
thence it stretches due west towards Aouliéta, separating the river 
Tchou from the river Talas; its greatest height is 15,000 feet. To 
the west of this chain, other hills, rising not higher than 5000 or 6000 
feet, stretch as far as the Syr-Daria, following the direction of that 
river down to Djoulek, and forming, so to say, a prolongation of 
the Alexandrowskaia chain. It is to these hills that the name of 
mount Karataou, which has been wrongly given to the whole system, 
_ of mountains in this country, properly belongs. 
Lastly, the third group forms the Kazikourt chain and lies to the 
south of the Alexandrowskaia, from which it is separated by the 
basin of Talas. The Kazikourt mountains appear to be a continu- 
ation of the principal branch of the Tian Chan; winding along the 
southern bank of the Issik-Koul, they fill the territory of Khokan 
with their southern ramifications. The disposition of these chains of 
mountains fixes the watersheds of the basins of the Tchou and the 
Syr-Daria, the two principal valleys of this country, lying almost 
parallel to each other, The valley of the Syr-Daria trends, with many 
