1879.] Information regarding the Kirghiz Steppes and Turkistan. 225 
interpreted, owing no doubt to the insufficient knowledge of the country 
hitherto obtained. I propose, therefore, to thoroughly analyze the subject 
de novo , and shall compare much of what is written in the “ Book of the 
Survey” concerning the Kirghiz Steppes and country of Turkistan with 
the modern information on the subject. 
After a description of the Yaik, or the modern Ural, and of the tribu¬ 
taries on its right bank, we read (p. 69), “ And opposite those rivers, on 
the left bank of the Yaik, is the mouth of the Izlay.” Now in other 
passages of the book, this river is called the Ilez or the river of Ilek. 
“ Above the river Izlay, at the termination of the Arattova mountains, 
the river Vor issuing from Mount Uruk falls into the Yaik. Prom the 
same mountain issues the river Irgiz and falls into lake Akbashli.” In 
another part of the book of the Great Survey, we read (p. 72). “ Mount 
U'ruk, which is 70 versts long, is distant from the Blue Sea (Sea of Aral), 
300 versts. From this mountain issue three rivers ; the Vor, which flows 
into the Yaik ; the river Irgiz, which flows eastward into lake Akbashli; the 
river Hem, which flows towards the Caspian Sea and falls into the lake with¬ 
out descending to that sea.” Mount Airdk, which has been very happily 
chosen for explorers, is the highest point in the Mugodjarski range and is 
equidistant (250 versts) from the mouth of the Or and from the north¬ 
west extremity of the Blue Sea or Sea of Aral. But in the “ Book of the 
Great Survey,” the appellation of mount Airuk is extended to the entire 
range which stretches 150 versts north and south. From the Mugodjarski 
mountains, which surround the peak of Airuk, there flow : to the north the 
river Or, to the east one mouth of the Irgiz, which is known as the Chit- 
Irgiz, and to the south the Emba. # 
The river Or falls into the Ural “ at the extremity of Mount Aralto- 
va.” But what is this mountain P Spasski supposes (vide his note 58) that 
this is the range which extends to the Sea of Aral; in other words that it is 
the Airuk or Mugodjarski range, but from three other passages in the work in 
which mention is made of Mount Araltova, one would sooner suppose that the 
range in question is that portion of the Ural chain which runs along the light 
bank of the river Ural and which terminates in the Guberlinski hills. 
The river Irgiz falls into the lake, which in former maps and in the old 
description of the Kirghiz Steppes by Bichkoff and Tevshinf is called Ak- 
Sakal-Barbi, a name somewhat similar to that given in the “ Book of the 
Great Survey.” But it is not known why on the newest Charts and in the 
* Vide Eichkoff’s “ Topography of the Province of Orenburgh.” St. Peters- 
Irarg'li, 1762, Part I, page 214. 
t Vide Tevshin’s “ Description of the Kirghiz-Cossack hordes and of the Kirghiz 
Steppes.” St. Petorsburgh, 1832. Part I, page 82. 
