752 Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. QSept. 



and that of Yarkund being by Lieutenant Macartney's construction 

 40° 30', the medium breadth of Chinese Toorkistan will be at least 

 400 English miles. Beyond the Altaian chain the waters run north 

 into Siberia and the Frozen ocean. All those of Chinese Toorkistan 

 are lost in itself or in the country immediately to the east (which is 

 also subject to China) ; to this quarter alone does it slope, while in 

 all others it is bounded by land much higher. Thus false is the com- 

 mon opinion of its forming part of what has been called the table land 

 of Asia ; the climate alone is sufficient to convince us of the contrary. 

 Though in a higher latitude than any part of Tibet, the elimate is 

 much warmer, a fact we need not be surprized at, since we are inform- 

 ed by merchants who have travelled through great Tibet from Kush- 

 meer to Yarkund that at a certain distance beyond Ludakh begins a 

 descent to Yarkund. 



9. There prevails in Europe, or did prevail, an opinion that the Cau- 

 casian mountains extend uninterruptedly on the south of Geelan and 

 Mazunduran, and through Khoorasan to a junction with the Hindoo- 

 koosh. It is highly probable the continuity is not broken until we 

 reach a certain distance into the last country, but afterwards we find 

 for a considerable distance only detached hills, seldom of very consi- 

 derable altitude; or if there be any chain, or chain of hillocks dividing 

 the rain water and the spring torrents, giving source to no rivers. 

 To treat such as a continuation of Caucasus and Hindookoosh is a 

 manifest abuse of terms. It is moreover aiming at a simplicity of 

 arrangement which is excessive, and tends to darken the subject, not to 

 elucidate it; for by such modes of reasoning ranges might be easily 

 traced from any point, and all the hills and mountains of a continent 

 proved to form parts of one range or of its branches. When genera- 

 lizations so forced are made, nothing can be affirmed or denied of 

 the whole which shall not be untrue of a considerable number of 

 the facts ; and recourse must at length be had to sub-divisions of 

 moderate comprehension, which alone conduce to brevity, perspicuity, 

 and the easy development of facts. 



10. There even occur cases where though a connection must be 

 allowed to exist, such is the dissimilarity of character in mountains, 

 that they cannot conveniently be made to pass under one name, or 

 treated of except separately ; such is that of a chain which though 

 it have no connection with Caucasus, has an undoubted one with 

 Hindookoosh. We have seen that this famous mountain lies nearly 

 due north of Cabul ; but in a west or north-west direction from the 

 valley, the roads to Toorkistan lead over a mountain which the natives 



