1839] Russian Mission from Orenbourg to Bokhara. 137 



toises in depth joined by a minute thread of water but sometimes urj. 

 connected. The steppe is every year covered with deep snow, which 

 melts with great rapidity early in spring, when the heat is frequently 

 great. At this period the rivers and streams rise, and form rapid tor- 

 rents, which scoop out deep ravines in the clay soil which universally 

 characterizes these plains. 



Thirty verstes from Orenbourg, we found on the Djilandu-tepeh, the 

 highest hill in the neighbourhood, two fossil specimens, a belemnite 

 and ammonite. Between the Ouzoun-Bourte andihe Cara-boutak, and from 

 that to the mountains of Moughodjar, we saw also many of these 

 fossils, and a vast quantity of shells. 



The soil is generally clay ; dry and strewed with flints of different 

 colours. The hills are usually round, with gentle slopes, as if water had 

 smoothed the inequality of the ground. 



Near the hills, of Bassagha, we saw a number of petrifactions,, 

 shells, and even a shark's tooth, which appeared to us a proof that 

 the sea had once covered this spot. At Berdianka we observed traces 

 of an exhausted copper-mine, mentioned by Pallas, and also of another 

 near the Kizil-ova. They w T ere merely excavations of an inconsiderable 

 depth, beside which there were heaps of stones intermingled with cop- 

 per ore, about 7 verstes from our encampment. On the Ouzoun-Bourte 

 we found coal, which we tried in our forge and it burnt very well. On 

 our arrival at Cara-boutak, we were agreeably surprised by the sight of 

 a small wood of black alders ; there also appeared to be an improvement 

 in the soil ; we had hitherto not seen any thing approaching to a heal- 

 thy vegetation in the steppe, and were rejoiced to perceive it shortly af 

 ter, on the banks of the Ilek. The eyes of the traveller, wearied with 

 the nakedness of the desert, are refreshed by the sight of plants, trees, 

 bushes, poplars and willows which are here very numerous ; the pas- 

 turage, also, wherever the river overflows its banks, is very fine, and 

 therefore a favourite resort of the Kirghiz. This is the largest river we 

 met with, before reaching the Sir — it is 10 fathoms broad and very rapid, 

 flowing over a gravely bottom, and abounds with various sorts of fish, 

 such as pike, perch, gudgeons, carp, &c. It was on the banks of this 

 river, we saw the first village of Kirghiz tents. Our attention was first 

 attracted by the flocks of sheep, to the number of from 5,000 to 6,000 — 

 and, on approaching nearer, we saw 50 tents of white or brown felt, of all 

 dimensions, pitched in irregular groups of three, four and six. 



We learned that it was the camp of the Sultan Haroun-ghazi, one 

 of the principal Kirghiz, who was waiting to accompany us as far as the 

 Sir; anxious by this act of kindness to demonstrate his attachment to 



