as well as the southern part of this mountainous region decreases in altitude towards the east, but rises into lofty masses towards the west, is undoubtedly right on the whole. On the other hand Grum-Grschimajlo's experience, that all the latitudinal valleys that he crossed incline towards the west, suggests that there are exceptions to this general rule. It is probable that the latitudinal valleys are divided by several low transverse ridges or »thresholds», so that their streams are directed sometimes towards the west and sometimes towards the east, and occasionally they meet in pairs at a common centre, and break through one or other of the ranges, in a way similar to what we find in Northern Tibet, although there the relations exist on a far greater scale.
The name Singer has quite puzzled me. My guide, Abdu Rehim, used to talk incessantly about his native village Singer, and about his old father Ahmed Pavan, who had lived there many years with his four sons. When I found Kosloff saying how he several times enjoyed the hospitality of this same Ahmed Pavan at — Kisil-sinir, it naturally followed that this latter place must be identical with Singer, and must possess two names, Singer being the correct form; for Kisil-sinir is in any case incorrect. Nevertheless there exist other indications that these two names signify two different places. For instance, we find them both entered on Grum-Grschimajlo's map; consequently he was told — for he did not visit that part himself — that they were the names of two distinct places. Then we have Kisil-sangir and, due east of it, Sangir-urten. This last name is identical with my Singer, for it is sometimes called also Singer-örtäng (i. e. the station of Singer), because the Turfan-Lop road passes through it. By the »range of Sinbir» Grum-Grschimajlo means the chain of the Kuruk-tagh which lies near Singer, and which ought to be called the Singer range. A long way to the east of both Kisil-sangir and Sangir-urten Grum-Grschimajlo puts a third name Singim, inserted from hearsay; this can be none other than Singer again. On the map of the frontier regions of Russian Asia, which has been prepared by the General Staff of the Russian army, this last name, Singim, does not appear, and we find Kisil-sinir only; this is perfectly correct, but would be still more correct, had the name been written Kisil-singer. According to Kosloff, Kisilsinir means Red Vein or Sinew. I was told that the name Singer means Heel, and is derived from the fact of a spur of the mountains there resembling a man's heel.
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