66 A S I A T I C R U S S I A .
MerSTAiKS. pellation of the Yablonoi ridge, a name implying the mountains of
' Apples.. Branches of inferior height pafs to the eaftern extremity- of
Afia under the latter name, or that'of the Stanovoi mountains* The
famé chain in-the north of Daouria- is alfo called the Daourian mountains;
and. in this quarter a lower ridger’ paflès due fouth towards
China* .
The Altaian chain, ftriâdy fo called,, is by the Chinefe denominated
the Golden Ridge, perhaps from the rich, metals which it contains»
The ftepp, or defart of Iffira, feems to, divide and diftinguifli it from
the mountains of Ural, which bend by the weft of Orenburg:: and
there are fait lakes and other figns that the .Gafpian anciently ex-'
tended in this direction..
Bogdo Alim. According to Dr. Pallas Bogdo Tola, or Bogdo Alim, the almighty
mountain,' rears its pointed fummits with, ftriking fubli'mity, on the
limit between the Soongarian and Mongolian defejts, while a chain extends
to the lake of Altyn in the N. W., and;anotlier to the S. E, called;
Changay, and a fnowy ridge, that-of Maffart, paffes fouth, and; is fup-
pofed to join thofe of Tibet %* and laftly this parent mountain fends
v ' forth a rocky arm “ called Allakoola, or the’checquered ridge, and by
. the Tartars Ala Tan, conne&ed with the Kirgufian Alginlkoi Skt.’*:
Between the laft ridge, and the Maffiirt, according to out author
rife the riyer Sirr, or Sihon,; and the Talas. From Alla koola thé
111 runs north into the lake ôf Palkati, or Balkalh, and the Emil and
Tihui flow in the famé direâiojn. From the ifiighty Bogdo-itffclf,fifes
the upper Ijctifh, which flows into the lake of Saizap : hence.;tlus great
mountain, muit be fituated about long. 93?. lat. 440. It. .is thus .probable
that the Altaian chain is conneaed with the fouthern by qtbet
ridges befides that of Maffart, the d.efarts between Siberia, and Hin-
doftan, and eaftern Bucharia being alternate hills and plains, and extremely
rocky.7
' * This Maffart, or Mufart, may poffibly be the Alak, (Alafe u la ,o r ;A la k Tag,) whicfi
join^ the Belnr Tag ; but Mr. Tooke’s tranflation from ,the German is far from clear,, or ap-
plicable to modern maps. View of Ruffia, i. 145—Î7 Î- See alfo Pallas Sur la formation ties
Montagnes, Paris 1779,'abridged in the f e l l volume of the Decouvertes Rujjes. |
I I Pallas, ib. The
CHAP. IVi NATURA L GEOGRAPHY.
. The weftfern part", o f -the Altaian chairi-is chiefly argillacepu's, "With Mountains.
granitic height's,^ coiitainihg fchorl, but many* parts '‘are- calcareous.
Sinnaia-Sopkaj Órithe-blue mountaii^he''ëMêf> fufnmit in the‘government
of Kolyvan^d^O nÖt exceed -the1 ft?a, and
cfenfifts of GÖaïfe granite,1 j With ‘aï-gi^la!é'e^'üè1''ïchïftdsl^^aiKl--liihé®oh# at
the bottom^'1' 1Uer‘eVgrariitIp4fdge%bfelilort:’H to wards the -riv-er Tfaiifh ,J ’ ,
abounding with'ores ofmVeis, copper; and'An'c.' Wanten, andffificeous
ffcfeftasy "with - hornblende,- -and are aïfödffèguenr inrthi^fert. f
The SehlaiJgètib’érg''is tHè^rich'éfï'in' inifsfife, af^d?fhear tne lTvfer Alay
W. branchés!’ó f hpil; cèhMhuè^fiill'‘ -öf vm’in‘èral;é';^k&hoften '
cómpbféd óf porphyry*, -arid jp'hrijï’ë^qn®*or trh’ein bh’-HHe^n'Orth' of the
river 0ufe?!_rlfing toVy6yi En§lim feet aboVd' !me ftream.
That'fpacé of the Altaian efeiri ■ Mifbhi r'üris^l|ety?Sri and the
Yérïfei h a's Teen littfé explb'réd ; but ’affbrds' grahitè,/'pÓTp'fi'yïy,,dj'afper,
‘primitive arid'’'feÓOTfdafy _ ftmeftorie^‘''with^mrritine', pejtrqnl^x1, fete,
motiritain cryffaly carifellari,' and'calEe'domy ;'‘öne öf^tnë higq'dfefum.-'
mits is tH’e Sabin, near the fourcè óf the Abakan. Ift'gMeral they1’ are
bare, the chiëffofëfts'bbing in"the bottom^ hear the rivers^ aWneori lifting
of pines,’' firs,! larches,^‘ctfets, birch, alpine^alder, and willow-'’ That
portt'bfricaMëd' the Sayanflc mountains' alfo” eonfi^s^uefly "of granite,
and porphyry, with fevèral minesbf talc, \m Miifeóyyjglffs'. r Braricne's.
extend on both fides of the fea of Baikal, likew'ife ptefenühg ruines of
tafe, and promontories ófhrilk'white quartz-, other fummitfe afé df'fihi'
grained- granite, and fometimes there are maffes of feilbar cdptamïfig'
green fchorl. Near Irkutlk coal has been found and the^are fait
lprings in many places.'. Other pfodü&s of this’rich'diftr^t fliall be
mentioned in the.mineralogy.
The mountains of Nerfhinfk, or Ruffian Daouria.,1 lèndVpranebesrto- Nerfhinft.'
wards the Selinga, and" the Amur. ‘ ' The* chief heigftfs are towards the
fóurces of the Orion, and Ingöda, where5 there are precipitous" mriimils
of grahitei ' A ridge palffrig S. W. and N. E. to the föuth WNfrfeiri’lk'
between the rivers Onon1 and Argoon, (the laft of which is’thé- real
AmuriJ-Is thé moft'fertilé in minefals of all'Afiat'ic Ruffian Among
the products may be named granite, porphyry, jafper,' ealcedony, ;car-.
nelian, onyx, pet-rofilex, large fmoaky topazes-, beryl, or aqiia marine^
K 2- 1 t . - the