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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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Geographical position.—As above defined Kâshghar is comprised between 36° and 43° north latitude, and between 73° and 92° east longitude. Between these parallels its limits may be thus described. The north boundary runs obliquely between 39° and 43° north latitude from the Tirik Daman in 73° east longitude to Pichân in 92° east longitude, and is formed by the southern watershed of the Celestial or (Jod Mountains, called Alâtâgh (Allah-tagh ?), Tangri Via, and Tianshan in Turki, Moghol, and Chinese respectively.

The south boundary runs obliquely between 38° and 36° north latitude from Sârigh Kul or Siriko] in 74° east longitude to Châchan of the Sârigh Uighur in 83° east longitude, and is formed by the northern slopes of the great Tibet range of mountains which is known in different parts of its extent by the names of Kuenlûn or " Blue Mountains," Sdng1än or " Onion Mountains," Karakoram or " Black Shale," and the Milztâgh or " Ice Mountains " of Bolor.

The east boundary cuts the parallels of 92° and 8,5° of east longitude from Pichân on the north to Châchan on the south between the parallels of 43° and 36° north latitude, and presents an undefined border formed by the shifting sands of the Gobi Desert.

The west boundary cuts the parallels of 73° and 74° east longitude from Tirik Dawan on the north to Sârigh Kill on the south between 40° and 37° north latitude, and is formed by the eastern slopes of the Alây and Pamir plateaux and the eastern watershed of the Bolor mountains or Bolortâgh.

These are the natural geographical boundaries of Kâshghar, or the valley of the Tarim River, and they closely correspond with the present political limits of the country.

Superficial extent.—As above limited, the greatest length of Kâshghar, from Tirik Dawâu to Pichân along its northern frontier, is about a thousand miles. Its least length, from Sârigh Kill to Châchan along the southern border, is about five hundred miles.

Its greatest breath, from Turfân to Châchan on the eastern frontier, is about five hundred miles. And its least breadth, from Tirik Dawan to Tâshkorghân in Sârigh Kill on the western boundary, is about a hundred and fifty miles.

Area in square miles.—If we multiply the means of the above assumed measurements of length and breadth, we shall get 243,750 square miles as an approximate representation of the area of Kâshghar. But it must be borne in mind that by very much the greatest part of it is an uninhabited waste, as is to be described presently.

Comparative topography.—Kâshghar is separated from the neighbouring regions on the north, the west, and the south by the lofty highland ranges of the great mountain system of the Asiatic continent, and on the east is divided off from China by the desert of Gobi.

In the time of the Chinese rule it formed the southern division of the Ila province which included the great basins on the north and south of the Tiânshân range, and was limited on the east and west by the vast deserts of Gobi and Kapchâk respectively.

The division to the north of the separating range is called by the Chinese Tianshan Pei Lu, or " the way north of the Celestial Mountains," and by the Moghol natives Ziinghâr—the Song-aria of European writers. Similarly the division to the south of the range is called Tianshan Nan Lu, or " the way south of the Celestial Mountains," and Kâshghar by the Chinese and Moghol respectively. The former division lies between the Altai—the great mountain range of Mongolia—and the Tiânshân, and drains westward to the desert of Kapchâk. Whilst the latter, with which only we are here concerned, lies between the Tiânshân and the Kuenhun—the great mountain range of Tibet—and drains eastward to the desert of Gobi.

On its north are the Russian possessions of Turkistan, and the Tilrgilt country of the Yuldnz and OnImchi Kalmâk—the Zilnghâr above referred to. On its west are the Khanate of Khokand, and the independent petty chiefships of Karâtakin, Shighnân, and Roshân, and the Afghan held province of Badakhshân, with the elevated plateaux of Pamir, Kizil Art, and Alây intervening. On its south are the Kashmir provinces of Ladakh and Bâltistân, or Bolor, on the one hand, and Great Tibet or Hlassa or 1JJchâng on the other. And on its east, beyond Gobi, is the Chinese province of Kânsuh.