1839] 



Russian Mission from Orenbourg to Bokhara. 



157 



supposing they must have been erected by the Nogai's, the name by 

 which they call the people, who occupied these steppes before them. 

 They also stated that these ruins are much more numerous in the eastern 

 part of the Kirghiz country, and are also met with on the Tobol, the 

 Ilek and Emba, those in the best preservation and most celebrated are 

 those of Djankend, which they suppose to have been the residence of 

 the Ouz chief. Djankend, situated about 40 verstes from the mouth 

 of the Sir, between that river and the Kouwan, was built of burnt-bricks. 

 The ruins are surrounded w\i\\ canals of irrigation and cultivated fields 

 of far greater extent formerly than at present. 



The Djan-deria is probably nothing more than the ancient bed of the 

 Kizil-deria ; it is also possible, this river might have also flowed more 

 to the south ; for, 40 verstes in that direction from the Djan-deria, we 

 found the traces of the bed of a great river. The Djan-deria was a 

 considerable river even in 1816, of greater dimensions than the Kouwan. 

 At present its dry bed only marks the former course. It may be 100 

 toises (600 feet) broad, and the banks 18 or 24 feet in height. A few 

 holes here and there filled with w 7 ater alone mark this once great river. 

 This drying up has nuch astonished the Kirghiz, who are ignorant of the 

 true cause; some attribute it to the construction of a dam to throw the 

 water into the Kouwan at the spot it separated from this river. 



Others suppose the bed has been filled with sand from the Kizil-coum, 

 which appears the most probable; they may also account for this unfor- 

 tunate drying up of the water to the great extent lost by evaporation and 

 absorption into the sands of the desert. Whatever may be the cause, it 

 is a most surprising fact, that the Djan-deria has disappeared. The water 

 still found in the old bed, smells a little of sulphnr, and is the most un- 

 healthy we met w 7 ith in our journey ; it was still more dangerous from 

 our not being able to replenish the supply during 5 days march in the 

 great desert of Kizil-coum, which must be crossed to go to Bokhara. 

 This water occasioned pains in the stomach to all our soldiers, and to 

 some the most violent cramps. One died in strong convulsions. 



We left the Djan-deiia on the 3d of December, and found ourselves 

 on the great road which leads to Bokhara. I call it the great road, for 

 it was a track about 3 toises wide, and very much beaten by the multitude 

 of travellers in that direction. The road first passed through a small 

 forest of sales aoul ; — it was less distinctly marked along a clayey plain 

 which ends at the distance of about 57 verstes from the Djan-deria, and 

 was again very visible in the Kizil-coum, where it crosses valleys formed 

 by sandy-hillocks. This road is very much frequented by all the cara- 

 vans which travel from Bokhara to Orsk, or to Orenbourg, and by all the 



