MOUNTAIN-CHAINS. A415 
and Abel Remusat mentioned in very ancient Chinese 
books, as existing in the interior of Asia to the north 
and south of Teen-shan, our author presents an ac- 
count of the geography of this interesting region. 
The middle and internal part of Asia, which 
forms neither an immense aggregate of hills nor 
a continuous platform, is intersected from east to 
west by four great systems of mountains, which 
have exercised a decided influence upon the move- 
ments of nations. These systems are: 1. The Al- 
taic, which is terminated to the west by the moun- 
tains of the Kirghiz; 2. Teen-shan; 3. Kwan- 
lun; and, 4. The Himmaleh chain. Between the 
Altaic range and Teen-shan are Zungaria and 
the basin of the Ele; between Teen-shan and 
Kwan-lun, Little or Upper Bucharia, or Cashgar, 
Yarkand, Khoten, or Yu-thian, the great desert, 
Toorfan, Khamil, and Tangout, or the Northern 
Tangout of the Chinese, which must not be con- 
founded with Thibet or Sefan. Lastly, between 
Kwan-lun and the Himmaleh are Eastern and 
Western Thibet, in which are Lassa and Ladak. 
Were the three elevated plains situated between the 
Altai, Teen-shan, Kwan-lun, and the Himmaleh, 
to be indicated. by the position of three Alpine lakes, 
we might select for this purpose those of Balkachi, 
Lop, and Tengri, which correspond to the plains of 
Zungaria, Tangout, and Thibet. 
1. System of the Altai.—It surrounds the sources 
of the Irtisch and Jenisei or Rem. To the east it 
takes the name of Tangnou; between the lakes 
Rossogol and Baikal, that of the Sayanian Moun- 
tains; beyond this it takes the name of Upper 
Kentai, and the Davourian Mountains ; and, last- 
ly, to the north-east it connects itself with the 
