In 1891 Dr. GEORG WEGENER published his well-written monograph on the orography and geology of the Kwen-lun System. He had till then never been in Asia himself, but still his essay is a very important and complete compilation of everything known about this mountain system.' We cannot enter upon it here as it would take us too far, and the Kwen-lun is not a part of my object. Only one or two passages in connection with the Kara-korum should be noted.
Dr. WEGENER quotes KLAPROTH'S audacious and correct opinion regarding the continuation of the Kara-korum through the whole of Tibet, along the "hengrinor to the Samtan-gandza and farther north-eastward to the vicinity of 32° North. lat.2 RICHTHOFEN'S theory regarding a great N. E. stretching mountain system was confirmed by one of MON'I'GOMERIE'S Pundits, who returned with a general description of the Nien-chen-tang-la, and Richthofen had just the opportunity to make use of this discovery for his map (Pl. XXIV, in my Vol. III). Richthofen's interpretation of the Pundit's discoveries was, however, as we know now, not correct. The Tang-la is not a north-eastward stretching range. It takes part, just as does the Nien-chentang-la, in the general west-east parallelism of the mountain ranges. And therefore the map of TR. SAUNDERS (Pl. XXI, in my Vol. III), and the map in Andrées Handatlas, 1881, were both wrong.
I have inserted here as Pl. LXVIII Dr. WEGENER'S map: Übersicht des Kwenlun Gebirges, which accompanies his monograph. It is of great value and interest as a document showing the conclusions to which a student of the material existing could arrive in 1891. We recognize the steep fall of the bordering Kwen-lun on the boundary between Tibet and the Tarim Basin as it had been investigated by PRSHEVALSKIY. Starting from this mighty range a series of parallel wings stretch
I Versuch einer Orographie des Kiven-lun, Inaugural-Dissertation. Marburg 1891. 2 hide supra, p. 146 et seq.
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