the plain of Musart, saw Khan Tengri, and went thence
to Issik-Kul. Mr. Delmar Morgan visited Lake
Sairam, and also went as far as the River Kush ; but
for my own part I did not advance beyond the capital,
having seen which, and distributed my books therein, I
prepared for turning back.
common occurrence in Central Asia, at elevations, from 3,500 to 9,000
feet. The Skipper (Hesperia Alveolus) occurs in the Talki defile in
April. I am indebted for these comparisons between the butterflies of
Central A sia and of England to the Rev. A. E. Hodgson. For further
information concerning the lepidoptera of the Kuldja district, and of
Turkistan generally, see Appendix.
C H A P T E R X V I I I .
FR OM K U L D J A TO A L T YN - IM M E L .
Proposed return by water.— Attempted steam navigation of the Ili and
Balkhash.— A visit to Colonel Mayevsky.— Native preference for
Russian rule, and why.— Kuldja restored to China.— Emigration
of natives into Russian territory— Our departure from Kuldja.—
Destruction of cattle by beasts of prey.— Suidun.— Three classes of
Chinese.—Jnterviewwith Chinese Governor-General.- Refreshments
followed by questions.— Opium-smoking. — A Chinese a r t is t | | J |
Governor-General’ s present.— A messenger awaiting us at Boro-
khudzir.
C 'O M E O N E suggested that I should float from
^ Kuldja westwards on the Ili, which would have
been pleasant enough but for my tarantass, if one may
judge of the velocity of the stream as we saw it, and
which Mr. Alpheraky says is three times as rapid as the
Neva at Petersburg. Below Kuldja the river flows
-through a flat inhabited country between open banks
(the right' steeper than the left), witli a wide and
copious stream. The banks are marshy and overgrown
with reeds. These, when the river is full, are
frequently submerged, and then there are no fords,
but at other seasons there is a ford at Old Kuldja
2\ feet deep, and another near the ruins of Chinese
Kuldja 2 feet deep. The river is frozen for about
60 days, from the end of December to the end of
February, but at other times timber is floated down