88 Russian Geographical Operations in Asia. [No. 2, 
opposite the An-djar settlement, 82 miles below Utch-Kayuk; other 
rivers emerge from the Kara-tau mountains, namely the Tuitchke 
whereon Turkestan is situated, the Karaichik, 6 miles lower down, 
and the Sart-Su; these do not reach the Syr-Daria, but lose them- 
selves in the marshes formed by its inundations. 
- Below Utch-Kayuk the country at first is inundated, and large 
wet meadows, or more correctly morasses, extend along both banks of 
the river, but further on, especially on the right bank, land is firmer. 
Nearer Djulek the trees on the banks are higher and thicker than 
along the whole remaining portion of the river’s course. In the 
immediate vicinity of this Fort, there is a very pretty avenue of tall 
and thick willows, looked upon by the Kirghizes as a sanctuary 
(Aulie). 
Between Djulek and fort Perovski the banks are generally firm and 
salinous, but not elevated. The “ Saxaul’’ is very abundant at the 
Kasakty-Syra, Chagouon and Kushsant settlements, and opposite 
Burinbai. The islands and the continuing banks are covered with 
the “djida,”’ ‘‘turanga,’”’ and occasionally with willows, and the 
margins are usually clothed with high dense thorn and reeds. Sandy 
hillocks occur beyond the saline plains, and in many places Kirghiz 
tombs and the remains of long neglected irrigating canals are met 
with. 
From the 14th July, when the expedition was proceeding upwards 
and was within 67 miles of Utch-Kayuk, the waters were visibly 
subsiding, and daily decreased, though the heat continued to be great, 
up to 30° R. in the shade. This was doubtless owing to the exhaus- 
tion of the supply of snow which accumulates on the mountains, 
where the river takes its rise. At fort Perovski the water began to 
fall only from the 30th of July, and at Fort No. 2 from the 5th of 
of August (N. 8S). 
Notwithstanding that Admiral Boutakof’s expedition had to halt 
at night close to marshy lands, there were no cases of ague, and so 
far as he was able to judge, the climate on the Syr-Daria, in its upper 
as in its lower course, was healthy. His astronomical observations 
disclose great inaccuracies in this portion of the map of Central Asia 
which is founded on the determinations by the Persian Missionaries 
of the 18th century. 
