KWAN-LUN SYSTEM. 419 
east to west, under the name of Asferah-tagh, to the 
south of the Sihon, towards Kodjend and Ourat- 
eppeh in Ferganah. This chain of Asferah, which 
is covered with perpetual snow, separates the sources 
of the Sihon (Jaxartes) from those of the Amou 
(Oxus). It turns to the south-west nearly in the 
meridian of Kodjend, and in this direction is named, 
till it approaches Samarcand, Aktagh, or Al-Botous. 
More to the west, on the fertile banks of the Kohik, 
commences the vast depression of ground comprising 
Great Bucharia and the country of Mavar-ul-Nahar; 
but beyond the Caspian Sea, nearly in the same 
latitude and in the same direction as the Teen- 
shan range, is seen the Caucasus with its porphyries 
and trachytes. It may, therefore, be considered as 
a continuation of the fissure upon which the Teen- 
shan is raised in the east, just as, to the west of the 
great mass of mountains of Adzarbaidjan and Ar- 
menia, Mount Taurus is a continuation of the ac- 
tion of the fissure of the Himmaleh and Hindoo- 
Coosh mountains. 
3. Kwan-lun System—The Kwan-lun or Koul- 
koun chain is between Khoten, the mountains of 
Khoukhou-noor and Eastern Thibet, and the 
country named Katchi. It commences to the west 
at the Tsung-ling mountains. It is connected with 
the transverse chain of Bolor, as observed above, 
and, according to the Chinese books, forms its south- 
ern part. This corner of the globe, between Little 
Thibet and the Boda Kohan, is very little known, 
although it is rich in rubies, lapis lazuli, and mine- 
ral turquois ; and, according to recent accounts, the 
plain of Khorassan, which runs in the direction of 
Herat, and limits the Hindoo-kho to the north, 
