an extensive country in Central Asia, known also by the name of Bukhara. It is divided by the plateau of Pamir, the Bolor-Tagh, and the Muz-Tagh, into two parts, the western of which is called Independent Turkestan, or Great Bukhara; and the eastern, being included in the Chinese empire, Chinese Turkestan or Little Bukhara. The former having been described under the head of Bukhara, it is only needful here to give some account of the latter.

CHINESE TURKESTAN lies between N. Lat. 36° and 49°; E. Long. 72° and 96°; bounded on the N. by Siberia, E. by Mongolia, the Chinese province of Kan-su, and the Koko-Nor country, S. by Tibet; and W. by Independent Turkestan. Its dimensions cannot be exactly given; as the country is so very little known, but its area probably exceeds 770,000 square miles. The Chinese government divides this vast region into two provinces, which they designate Thian Shan Nanlao, or the road south of Thian Shan, and Thian Shan Peilo, or that north of these mountains; so called from the two great lines of traffic with the west. The former is Chinese Turkestan proper; the latter is also known by the name of Songaria or Dzongarria. The whole country is a lofty table-land, traversed by several mountain-chains. At the south-west corner, between N. Lat. 36° and 37°, E. Long. 71° and 74°, is a knot of mountains from which several chains diverge in various directions. Of these the Bolor-Tagh, extending northwards, forms the western, and the Kuenlun, stretching eastwards, the southern boundary of the country. The latter range is believed to be covered with perpetual snow for a distance of 300 miles, and is traversed by two roads into Tibet, one over the Karakorum pass, 12,000 feet high, and the other further to the east, connecting Khotan with Lhasa. Close to the Bolor-Tagh is the plateau of Pamir, which has so great an elevation as to be entirely destitute of trees. Further north, a continuation of the mountains of Ak-Tagh in Independent Turkestan, stretches to the eastward. It is known by the name of Muz-Tagh as far as 85° E. Long.; and here many of its summits do not rise above the snow-line; but further east, where it gets the name of Thian Shan, it is much loftier, and covers a wider extent of ground. Further north, a series of high lands, hardly deserving to be called a mountain-chain, connects these mountains with the Altai range, which separates the country from Siberia. Towards the east, Turkestan has no mountain-frontiers, but descends to the flat desert of Gobi, part of which is included within its limits. The waters of this region all discharge themselves into inland lakes. In the southern province, that of Lop-nor towards the east of the country, is the principal. It receives from the west the Narim, a stream formed by the confluence of five considerable rivers, the Karakul, Kashgar, Yarkand, Khotan, and Aksu. The whole length of the river, from the source of the Yarkand to the mouth of the Tarim in the Lop-nor, is about 1500 miles; and its height at the latter position is estimated at 1280 feet above the sea. The Tarim receives no affluents from the south, but two of some size descend from the Thian Shan range. The other rivers and lakes of southern Turkestan are of small size. In the northern part of the country the most important lake is that of Issikul, which is nearly 100 miles long by 35 broad. It is surrounded on all sides, at a short distance, by mountains, from which it receives a large supply of water; and it sends out from its west end the Tchoui, which flows into the Russian empire. The largest river in this part of the country is the Ili, which flows westwards for 300 miles, and falls into Lake Balkash. It drains a valley about 400 miles long by 100 broad. In the extreme north of Turkestan the Irish takes it rise, and, after traversing the lake of Zaisan, flows northwards into Siberia. The greater part of Chinese Turkestan is entirely unfit for cultivation, being occupied with vast sandy deserts. It is only on the slopes and near the foot of the various mountain-ridges that the soil is at all good; but in these situations there are some tracts of considerable fertility. The climate, like that of most elevated plateaus, is remarkable for its dryness; the heat in summer is intense; but in winter, especially towards the west, frost and snow are frequent. Rice, wheat, millet, pulse, cotton, hemp, and flax, are the principal crops raised. Grapes, melons, and other fruits of warm climates, come to perfection here; and silk-worms are reared in great numbers. But the principal occupation of the people is the tending of live stock,—horses, camels, yak, and other cattle, sheep, &c., as a large portion of the country, when sufficiently watered by irrigation, affords excellent pasturage. The horse, the camel, the ass, and the sheep, are found wild in the deserts of the country, along with tigers, wolves, jackals, &c. Of minerals, Turkestan possesses gold, found in the Thian Shan mountains and on some affluents of the river Khotan, as well as copper, iron, coal, nitre, asbestos, sulphur, and sal-ammoniac; but the most remarkable are the jasper and the agate, both of which form valuable articles of commerce to China, the latter being a government monopoly, and its working superintended by Chinese soldiers. An extensive trade is carried on in this country with Russia, China, Tibet, Cashmere, and Independent Turkestan. Caravans travel from Pekin to Yarkand, occupying from three to six months on the journey; and bringing tea, porcelain, silver, and manufactured goods, and receiving in exchange horses, cattle, silk, &c. With Cashmere there is a trade in shawls and other articles, in exchange for Russian goods, such as cloth, furs, gold, silver, bullion, iron, steel, copper, &c. Many of the Chinese goods are conveyed to Independent Turkestan, in return for woollen cloth and other manufactured goods. The chief emporium for trade is Yarkand, which may be considered the capital; and the towns next in importance are Kashgar, Khotan, Ili, and Khamil. The great majority of the people are Turks or Uzbeks, superior in civilisation to those of Independent Turkestan, and speaking a very pure Turkish dialect. They are almost all of the Mohammedan religion. The other races comprise Chinese merchants in the towns, Manchoos in the Chinese army, Mongolians towards the east, and a few Hindoos and Jews. The supreme government is in the hands of the Chinese, who have an army of 20,000 and 30,000 men in the country; but in internal affairs the Turks enjoy a large amount of freedom. The population of Chinese Turkestan cannot be accurately ascertained, but it probably does not much exceed one million.