MOUNTAIN-CHAINS. 



359 



the researches of Abel Remusat and Klaproth in 

 Chinese books, and whose great distance from the 

 sea has excited so much surprise. Soon after his 

 departure from Petersburg he received from M. de 

 Klosterman, imperial director of police at Semipola- 

 tinsk, the following particulars, which were obtained 

 from Bucharians and Tachkendis : — 



"The route from Semipolatinsk to Kouldja is 

 twenty-five days. It passes by the mountains Ala- 

 chan and Rondegatay, in the steppe of the Middle 

 Horde of the Kirghiz, the borders of the lake Savan- 

 de-koul, the Tarbagatai mountains in Zungaria, and 

 the river Emyl. When it has been traversed, th 

 road unites with that which leads from Tehougeut 

 chak to the province of Ele. From the banks of the 

 Emyl to the lake Ala-koul the distance is 39i miles. 

 The Tartars estimate the distance of this lake from 

 Semipolatinsk at 301 miles. It is to the right of the 

 road, and extends from east to west 66i miles. In the 

 midst of this lake rises a very high mountain, named 

 Aral-toube. From this to the Chinese post, situated 

 between the little lake Janalache-koul and the river 

 Baratara, on the banks of which reside Kalmucks, are 

 reckoned 36 miles." 



It is evident that the same mountain is alluded to 

 in both these accounts ; and with the view of con- 

 necting it with the volcanoes discovered by Klaproth 

 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 contin- 

 uous platform, is intersected from east to west by 

 four great systems of mountains, which have exer- 

 cised a decided influence upon the movements of na- 

 tions. These systems are, 1. The Altaic, which is 

 terminated to the west by the mountains of the 

 Kirghiz ; 2. Teen-shan ; 3. Kwanlun ; and, 4. Tke 



