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Show 76 STEPPES AND DESERTS. Ladak, Gcrtop, and H'lassa, (the seat of the Great Lama,) 720 geographical miles; between Hami in the Celestial Mountains, and the great bend of the Hoang·ho near the In-schan chain, hardly 480; and in the north, between the Khanggai, where the great city of Karakhorum once stood, nnd the chain of Khin-gan-Petscha, which runs north and south (in the part of the Gobi traversed in travelling from Kiachta by Urga to Pekin) 760 geographical miles. The whole extent of this swelling ground, which must be carefully distinguished from the far more elevated mountain range to the east, may be approximately estimated, taking its inflections into account, at about three times the area of France. The map of the mountain ranges and volcanoes of Central Asia (Carte der Bergketten und Vulkane von Central-Asien), constructed by me in 1839, but not published until 1843, shows in the clearest manner the hypsometric relations between the mountain ranges and the Gobi plateau. It was founded on the critical employment of all the astronomical determinations accessible to me, and on a vast amount of orographic description, in which Chinese literature is beyond measure rich, examined at my request by Klaproth and Stanislas Julien. My map marks the mean direction and the height of the mountain chains, and represents the leading features of the interior of the continent of Asia, from 30° to 60° of north latituue, and between the meridians of Kherson and Pekin. It differs materially from any previously published map. The Chinese have enjoyed a threefold advantage towards the collection of so great an amount of orographic data in the highlands of Asia, and more especially in the regions (hitherto so little known in the west) north and south of the Celestial Mountains, between the In-schan, the mountain lake Khuku-noor, and the banks of the Ili and the Tarim. The three advantages I allude to are-the military expeditions towards the west, (under the dynasties of Han and Thang, 122 years before our era, and again in the ninth century when conquerors advanced as far as Ferghana and to the borders of the Caspian,) together with the more peaceful conquests of Buddhistic pilgrims ;-the religious interest attaching to certain lofty mountain summits on account of sacrifices to be periodically offered there ;-and the early and general use of the compass in giving the |
