The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-23
Kashgar and the Russian Frontier

We are now daily receiving the most valu-
able additions to our knowledge of the
political geography of Central Asia. Hardly
has the British public realized the idea of q
highroad practicable to camels, and even to
wheeled carriages, crossing the Thibetan up
lands from the plains of Tartary to the inner
crest of the Himalayas, when information
reaches us of equal Importance regarding the
physical features and political condition of
the northern portion of the plateau which in
tervenes between Kashgar and the Russian
frontier. This particular region, although
especially interesting as the link between
civilization and barbarism, has been hitherto
to British geographers at any rate-a veri-
table "terra incognita." The only routes across
Il available to research up to the present
time have either traversed the plateau of Tar
tary due north from Yarkand to Aks1, and
30 on by the Chinese town of Kulja to Semi
palatinsk, or have proceeded in a westerly
direction from Yarkand by Kashgar to Khokan
and Bokhara, thus avoiding the Russian from
tier altogether. Now, however, thanks to the
persevering industry of Mr.. Robert Michell
we are furnished for the first time with an
English translation Of the journal of the Rus
sianized Tartar, Valikhanof, who in 1858 was
sent in disguise from Fort Vern0e to Kashgar,
and who, in company with caravan, thus
traversed on two different lines the whole
extent of the "Syrt," an elevated tableland
intersected with rivers and few rocky, though
not very lofty, ridges, which stretches from
the southern crest of the Celestial Mountains
TO the confines OF the great Central Desert.
The distances in this quarter are not nearly as
great as hiterto supposed, nor is the country
by any means of o difficult or desolate char
acter. The passes, indeed, are everywhere
practicable to laden camels, and the val
ieys of the two great rivers, the Naryn
of Jaxartes flowing to the west, and the Aksn
flowing to the east, are filled throughout with
epoampments of wandering Kirghiz. From
Fort Vern0e, the fsurishing military colony
of the Russian Government north OF the lssy-
Kul Lake to the town of Kashgar, the entire
distance is under 400 miles; and it Is under
stoed that at the present time the Russian out
posts have been advanced as far as the Kho-
kandian fort of Kurtka on the Naryn, which
is about half way between the two points
Indeed, during the last year Colonel Poito-
ratski pushed reconnaissance In force as lar
as the Chadir- Kul Lake, which is little more
fbsn 100 miles from Kashgar; and IL was this
demonstration, regarded as preliminary TO
direct invasion, which impelled the
wayeripg Kush- Begi to send his brother on a
mission OF peace to 6t. Petersburg. Colonel
PoItoratski's account of his discoveries In the
valley of the Naryn and around the Chadir-
Kul Lake are expected to be published
almost immediately with the sanction OF the
Russian Government, and will form valu-
allie Hpendant, to the Valikhanof papers,
which are being prepared for the press by
M. esmenoff, the well known president OF the
nbysjoal section of the Russian Geographicai
Society. In the meantime Mr.. Mitcnell
translation Of Captain Vaiikhanons lonrnai
will, II is hoped, receive promlnen, CONSIDERS
tIon at the hands OF Sir Koderick Muronison, !,
pointing, as it does, to the inevitable ana mol