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THE HSI-YC -V U-CHIN.   71

observed that Khotan according to the Wei-Annals lay north of Tsung-ling, which therefore was identical with the Nan-shan. But the Han Annals had placed these mountains west of Hsi yi, so the Wei Annals were mistaken. The author of this part of the Hsi-yü-t`uchih is himself persuaded that the Tsung-ling amongst all famous mountains of Central Asia is the most considerable.

Speaking of some mounts and passes west and south of Eastern Turkistan, the Chinese work again returns to the Onion Mountains. *Kosh-küchük-davan is situated in the midst of the Ts ung-ling. In the »observations» the situation is thus given: »En allant de Sou-lo (Kashgar) dans la direction du sud-ouest, on rencontre une suite des montagnes : le *Koshküchük-davan est la plus élevée de toutes. »I It is obvious that the Kashgar range is meant. Oulou arat daba, which is said to be on the N. W. frontier of Kashgar , is obviously Ulugh-art-davan, W. S. W. of Kashgar in the Kashgar range.2 From here the Tien-shan is supposed to take its beginning: »C'est l'endroit où une chaîne des montagnes se détache des Ts ong-ling et se dirige vers le nord-est où elle forme la chaîne même des Monts célestes.» This description puts the beginning of the Tien-slum very far to the west, and contradicts the view that the whole western part of the Tien-shan should be reckoned to the. Tsung-ling. But here as well as in other parts of the system, different authors and different times have different views regarding the correct definition.

Khan-teräk tagli ioo li west of Yangi-hisar, »is an eastern branch of the Ts ung-ling» The observations following are not capable of explaining the problem:

Comme les Ts ong-ling s'étendent au loin, il est difficile de citer tous les noms des différents pics qu'ils renferment. Il en est ainsi pour toutes les montagnes qui se trouvent au-dessous du *Kosh- kzichiik davan; parmi les plus importantes de ces dernières sont les monts Gang-dis-ri qui s'étendent

l'ouest de La tsang, se dirigent vers le nord-est et forment une chaîne horizontale qui vient aboutir aux Ts ong-ling. Les ramifications qui se dirigent vers le sud-est constituent les Nann-chann ou Montagnes méridionales situées au sud de Yarkand et de Khoten. En allant vers le sud-est on trouve le Shadutie davan, dont la chaîne est enclavée dans le désert de sables.

The meaning seems to be that issuing from the block of the Ts`unç-ling proper two ranges are directed to the S. E., the northern being the Nan-shan (= our Western Kwenlun), the southern being the Western Transhimalaya with the Kailas peak. The Nan-shan continues far to the east. In the Ta-ch`ing-i-t ung yzi-t`u, Shadutu-davan is placed S. E. of Keriya and just north of a lake called Ghashon-nor.3

In the Hsi-yü-eu-chih it is said of Badakhshan4:

Le Badak`chan est au sud-est de la partie centrale des Ts ong-ling; ses frontières sont A six cents li environ au sud-ouest de Kachgar et de Yarkand .... La force de ce pays, situe sur le flanc droit de la chaîne des Ts ong-ling, consiste dans les précipices qui l'entourent de toutes parts. L'aspect en est très redoutable.

Added to this statement the following facts may serve to limit the system: The road leading to the western Buruts (Kara-Kirgiz) is said to pass over the Tsung-ling and Osh.5

t Op. cit., p. io8.

2 The road across this pass is described in Vol. IX, Part. I, of the present work, p. 25 et seq.

3 IMBAULT-HUART first reproduced the maps belonging hereto; they have now been republished by HERRMANN, see below Pl. XVIII.

4 Notices géographiques et historiques sur les peuples de l'Asie Centrale, op. cit., p. 194.

5 Op. cit., p. 161.