THROUGH ASIA 
viii 
of anthropometrical measurements from a number of 
Kirghiz ; an inquiry into the periodical migrations of the 
nomads ; a study of the etymology of the geographical 
nomenclatures ; measurement of the volume of every 
river I crossed ; bathymetrical soundings in the lakes ; and 
the collection of botanical specimens, more especially of 
algae from the lofty alpine regions of the Pamirs and 
Tibet. Moreover I devoted special attention to the 
taking of meteorological observations, regularly three times 
a day. These Dr. Nils Ekholm has kindly undertaken 
to work out for me. Another important task was the 
collection of voluminous materials dealing with the geo- 
graphical character and extent of the Desert of Gobi, as 
also with the complicated river -system of the Tarim, 
which I was enabled to study at many different points 
all the way from the Pamirs and the highland regions of 
Tibet down to the termination of the stream in the far- 
distant lake of Lop-nor. F'urther, I noted the periodical 
fluctuations in the volumes of the Central Asiatic rivers ; 
how during the summer they swell to flood-like dimen- 
sions, and then during the winter dwindle away to, in 
many cases, paltry rivulets, or even dry up altogether; 
and how these fluctuations occur with unvarying regu- 
larity — the ebb and flow, as it were, that accompany the 
heart-beats of the mighty continent. 
The astronomical observations, which I made for the 
purpose of checking and controlling my instrumental 
calculations, consisted of determinations of latitude and 
time in seventeen several places. The instrument I em- 
ployed was a prismatic circle, and the object I observed 
the sun or failing that the moon. Mr. Rosen, who has 
kindly calculated my results, is satisfied that the errors 
in the latitudinal observations are in every instance less 
than fifteen seconds, and in the temporal determinations 
in all cases under one second. The longitudes of 
