1026 General Notes. [ December, 
Western Gobi, only 3000 feet above the sea; then there follow two 
steps upwards, namely, that of Eastern Gobi, 4000 feet; an 
lastly that of Altai, 5000 feet. 
The central plateau has been the home of most of the nomad and 
pastoral tribes which have successfully overrun the rest of Asia. 
It now belongs [with the exception of one tract] to the Chinese 
empire. 
Dividing the continent into eight political divisions Sir Richard 
Temple gives a condensed, but satisfactory review of the work 
accomplished in them since 1830, and mention is made of all the 
principal explorers and writers. In conclusion he says, “ The 
greater part of Asia has not yet been touched by scientific opera- 
tions on a complete scale. In the whole of Asia only India, 
Ceylon, Cyprus, Western Palestine, Caucasia, the Caspian basin, 
part of Western Siberia, and part of Japan, also many points in 
the Asiatic coastline, have been subjected to trigonometrical ob- 
servation. The altitudes of mountains have been determined 
i § 
ascertained by the barometer. Professional surveys in detail have 
been completed only in India, Ceylon, Western Palestine, Caucasia, 
parts of Western and Eastern Siberia, the Tian-Shan region, the 
greater part of Western Turkistan, Cambodia, parts of Cochin 
China, parts of Afghanistan, also on certain lines of Persia, Me- 
sopotamia, and Asia Minor. i 
ven in the professionally surveyed territories many defects an 
imperfections are acknowledged to remain. Non-professiona 
surveys have been carried out in Japan, in China proper, In parts 
of Arabia, on the frontiers of Tibet, China, and Burma, and on 
certain lines in Afghanistan and Beluchistan.” __ mare 
“ OF geological surveys, the largest example is that in India 
which, though far advanced, is far from complete. Very pte 
remains to be done in this respect for the Himalayas. Geologica 
surveys have been made in the Caucasus, the Urals, the d 
Shan and Altai ranges, Kamchatka, many parts of China = 
Japan, Cambodia, Ceylon, some parts of Arabia and Persia, — ‘ 
of Asia Minor and Palestine. But there remain unexplored, eer 7 
of the Himalayas, of Afghanistan and Beluchistan, of Arabia, 
nearly the whole Kuen-Lun region north of Tibet in the very 
heart of Asia. 
F Caubul, near to the culminating region of the entire cont 
