low banks, except at its sources. Its breadth is about
the same as that of the Atrak, but it is shallower and
fordable in many places. The traces of a large wall
of burnt brick are discernible here and there along its
right bank. This is Kizil Alan, said to have been
built by Alexander the Great.
T o the south of the Gurgan, and forming the frontier
o f the Astrabad province, flows, through a swampy,
reed-grown valley, the Kara-Su river. It has a length
of 40 miles.
The climate of Turkmenia is continental, and presents
extremes of temperature disproportioned to the latitude
of the country. The south of the desert is
warmer than the centre. The seasons also present
remarkable variations, caused by the winds.*
These differences of climate produce a corresponding
variety of vegetation. Describing his
journey from Krasnovodsk, Mr. Condie Stephen
noticed, before reaching Kizil Arvat, the growth of
little more than camel-thorn and saxaul. From Kizil
Arvat to Geok Tepe the same continued, with the
addition of willows, wheat, barley, maize, millet, and
melons; whilst beyond, as far as Gavars, or Gyaurs,
he adds nut, mulberry, apricot, and peach trees ; rice,
cotton, and grapes.
* The north-easterly gales cause a fall in the temperature, and, being
dry and violent, they raise clouds of dust, which, impregnated with
saline particles, is hurtful to the eyes. The westerly winds from the
south and south-west, blowing from the Caspian, render the air damp,
and, in September and October, bring clouds with heavy and continuous
rains. This last remark, however, applies more especially to the parts
south of the mountains, since little rain or snow falls further north. The
winter varies a good deal. In 1880-81 it was so mild that the besiegers
of Geok Tepe hardly required great-coats. The following winter was
almost Siberian, the Michailovsk Gulf being frozen, and snow on the
plain lying from 2 to 3 feet deep, whilst the mountain roads were for
weeks impassable. M. Lessar observes that surveying can be best
A t Krasnovodsk, at the end of November, I purchased
apples, medlars, and sweet lemons— the last, if
not all, being imported from Astrabad. The lemons
were very insipid, even to one just come from the
desert, but the medlars were good.
Again, the country between the Atrak and Gurgan
grows rice and cotton, also walnuts and lemons, and
even the sugar cane.
Amongst the fauna of Turkmenia may be mentioned
Wolves and Jackals, and in the reedy marshes waterfowl
abound. North o f the mountains Mr. Condie
Stephen observed Eagles, Vultures, Hawks, Bustards,
Grey Crows, Pin-tailed Grouse, and Larks ; besides
Flamingoes on the shores o f the Caspian. The
Tarantulas are large, and there is found in the desert
a great Lizard, measuring from 2 to 3 feet long. Mr.
O Donovan, writing to me before I started, said, “ You
ought, of course, to go well armed. I f you are any-
thing of a sportsman, you will find plenty o f amusement
on the slopes o f the mountains between Persia and
the Turkoman country— Partridge, Fowl, and Wild
done during September and October, since the temperature is then cool,
and the sky generally clouded. In March and April cold nights are
prevalent. The most abundant rain falls early in spring, at which time
the deserts can be conveniently traversed in all directions. M. Lessar
speaks, I presume, of the region about Merv, and 1 should take what
he says of autumn to hold good of the part I crossed between Petro-
Alexandrovsk and Krasnovodsk. In 1877, at Petro-Alexandrovsk,
the mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures were: July, 82°‘4,
103 3i 62 ‘4; August, .77°-2, i03°’5, 57°'7 ; September, 6g°-8, gg°‘i,
48 -o ; and October, S^°'3,. 79°'7> 28°'g; whilst at Krasnovodsk for the
same four months the mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures
registered: July, 88°7, gg°-g, yg0 ^; August, 86°-4, ioo°-g, ;
September, 75°‘2, 94°'5, 6i°'3 ; and October, 6i°-o, 79°'3, 50°-2. I
collected meteorological statistics of the year preceding m3' visit from
several places in Central Asia, and to these I have added some few
Others for the purposes of comparison, thus :*—
* S e e p a g e s 4 4 2 - 3 .