1840.] Russian Mission from Orenhourg to BoJtham. 



tains, in which the valleys are avoided on account of the depth of 

 snow. Thp first that of Belawli or Tall ig, to the north of the mountains; 

 second, by the Terek in the ceniie; the third, that of Chart to the south* 



Chapter IV. 

 Kachghar. 



From all the information I was able to obtain, the Bokharians call 

 Chinese Tariary, Alti-Chakan, or the six citiest* viz. Kachghar, 

 larke.ntl, Khoten, Aksou, and the two llys. 



Kachgl.ar is a large city, with a Chinese garrison, to which strangers 

 enter and tiepart without difficulty. It is situated on a river of the 

 samp n^ime, which falls into the Kizil-sou (golden river), which flows 

 between Kachghar and larkend, a town on the great road from Kach- 

 ghar to Cashmere, where they speak the Tartar language. 



From larkend, the route lays through the towns of great and little 

 Tibet; the country is very mountainous, and the caravans are obliged 

 to make very short stages. The traffic is entirely carried by horses, 

 as camels cannot pass over the rocks and mountains. The route is, 

 larkend, four days journey; great Tibet, thirty-five or forty; and 

 Cashujeie, twenty-two. Half way between the two last named places, 

 is the town of little Tibet. The river which passes this place is the 

 same as the Cashmere stream, or one of its branches. 



It appears probable that the to\vns, called great and little Tibet by 

 the Tartars, are those more generally known by those of Ladak and 

 Draouse, or Dervazeh. It is strange that none of the Tartars know 

 them by this name;t all the Bokharians with whom 1 have conversed 

 on the subject invariiibly gave them the application of great and little 

 Tibet ; also the Russian merchants, who trade between Semipalatinsk 

 and Cashmere, call them by the same name.$ 



• Move properly countries or provinces.— TVansZafor. 



+ The names of great and little Tibet comes without doubt from the habit several 

 Oriental nations have, of giving the name of belad or chehr indifferently to a province, 

 district or town. — JVote by M. Jauhert. 



% After the publication of this work I met with an account of the travels of a Georgi- 

 an gentleman, Danibeg, translated from Georgian, and dedicated to the emperor Alex- 

 ander, from India to the Russian frontier town of Semipalatinsk. I have abridged 

 the facts related by the Georgian us much as possible, the work containing no other 

 matter of interest. 



From Cashmere I reached Tibet, a distance of 200 verstes, performed in twenty days.. 



