Russian Geographical Operations in Asia. 70 



of Khokan, ought to bo shifted, on the map, half a degree towards 

 the south, and one degree towards the cast ; the town of Turkestan at 

 least a degree and a half towards the south, &c. 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 Karataon. They may be divided into three groups, 

 the chain of the Kentchi-Alataou, the chain called Alexandrow.skaia, 

 and that of Kazikourt. 



The Kentchi-Alataou consists of two parallel chains, which follow 

 the northern bank of the Issik Koal ; they are separated (on the cast 

 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 Hi 

 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 Aoulieta, 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 Karataon, 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 



