88 Russian Geographical Operations in Asia. [No. 2, 



opposite the An-djar settlement, 8f 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 u 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. S). 



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,, 





