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who, judging from what we saw of the party that accompanied us, must form very valuable auxiliaries in mountain warfare in those regions. Mounted on powerful and active ponies, which are peculiarly well adapted by natural training to continued hard work and exposure, these Kirghiz, accustomed from birth to the roughest camp life, are admirably fitted for "C scouting" and mounted infantry purposes.
We returned to Kishghar on the 11th. Notwithstanding the intensity of the cold, Captain Trotter, R.E., succeeded in making a complete route survey of the road, checking it by astronomical observations. He also made hypsometrical observations for the heights. Dr. Stoliczka took the fullest advantage of all the opportunities afforded for geological research and examination, the results of which he has recorded. I made a few sketches. We were invariably well received by the soldiers and others whom we met during the journey, always getting a ready salutation of friendly respect from all. The Terek Pass on the road between Kishgar and Nirin-Almfiti has long been known to geographers as leading towards Khokand. We found " Terek" to be a name in frequent use in the direction we travelled. On the road to Chidir Kû1 we passed Kichik Terek, Chunk Terek, and Terak Kurgin, and were told that the forts on the other road from Kishghar to Almiti are called Terek, also that the pass leading over the southern crest is similarly named. Baron Osten-Sacken in his account of the TransNi.rin country speaks of the "Terek," a tributary of the Nirin stream. As thus applied in naming places, silver or white poplar appears to be the meaning of the word. There are small poplars in Kichik (little) Terek, large ones at Chung (big) Terek, and that tree is the most common one in the Toyun valley. Baron Osten-Sacken mentions the banks of the Terek being C' wooded with poplar." The tree is doubtlessly common on the Khokan road. I go into these particulars with reference to a question raised in a discussion on Central Asian Geography, given in the Royal Geographical Society's Proceedings, dated 25th of April 1870, as to the existence of a Terek Pass north of Kishghar, as well as one to the west.
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