Departure from Kulja — Valley of the Ili — Crossing the Tekes — Inhabitants — Fertility of Kunges Valley — Abundance of fruit; bears, birds, &c. — Pass to the Tsanma — Fir forests —Autumn in the mountains — The Narat range — Yulduz and its fauna—Hunting — Ovis Poli — Descent of Tian Shan — Yakub Beg's envoys — River Kaidu-gol — Arrival at Korla — Jealousy and distrust of officials —Desert of Lob — Hydrography of Lower Tarim — Barren country — Oleasters — Monotonous scenery
Fauna of Tarim — Avi-fauna — New species — Inhabitants of Tarim — Rude dwellings — Details of population — Dress of the people — Cloth manufacture — Habits, pursuits, and diet — Position of their women — Peculiarities and failings— Route continued — Observations for altitude — Natives are suspicious — Airilgan-ferry — Climate — Village of Chargalyk — Cherchen, Nai, and Keria — Ruins of Lob — Starovertsi — Start for Altyn-tagh — Description of these mountains — Mountainous system — Fauna of Altyn-tagh — Hardships— Return to Lob
Wild camel hunters — Habits of this animal — Mode of killing it — Distinguishing marks — Its origin considered — Lake Kara-buran — Chon-Kul, or the Great Lake — Disappearance of the Tarim — Mode of fishing — Lake-dwellers — Animal life — Details of population — Appearance of natives; language; dwellings — Cloth made of Asclepias fibre—Domestic utensils — Occupations and religion— Marriage— Burial of dead— Expert boatmen — Existence in winter — Novel surroundings — Ornithology, extraordinary number of birds — Duck-shooting — Specimens for the collection — Migratory waterfowl — Climate — Departure of birds — Dust storms — Spring at Lake Lob— Return to Korla — Yakub Beg's presents — Yulduz again — Spring vegetation — Return to Kulja — Close of expedition
Earliest notices — Origin of name — First surveys — Russian explorers — Assanoff; Schrenk — Incorrect cartography — Feodoroff's observations — Height of lake and relative position — Rivers flowing into it; the Ili and its headwaters the Tekes — Muzart pass — Kuija and its neighbourhood — The Lepsa — Chubar-agatch valley — The Kara-tal — Buddhistic remains — Nifantieff deputed to survey Lake Balkash — Preparations; he launches his boats — Difficulties — He constructs a felt dam; arrives at the lake: begins survey — His assistant shipwrecked — He completes survey following year
Humboldt's theory on the lake — Topography — Meaning of the name — Geographical position and height — Alternation in level — Rivers flowing into it — Subsidiary lakes: Sassyk-kul, or "the stinking lake;" Jelanash-kul, or "the open lake" — Island of Aral-tiube — Russian settlement — Pate of Chuguchak — New Russo-Chinese trade-route — Ala-kul in summer — Barlyk range — Russo-Chinese frontier — Arasan, or mineral springs — The Ehbi wind — Legend concerning it — Inhabitants
Origin of raskol — Society in Central Russia twenty years ago — Repressive measures of Emperor Nicholas — Retreats of the Starovertsi — Grigorieff's note on the Lob-nortsi — Historical sketch of "Kamenshiki" — Their refuges in Siberia — Bielovodiye — Meaning of the word "Kamenshiki" — First settlers — Their retreats in the mountains ; huts, occupations, fishing, and trapping expeditions — Beaver hunting — Mode of obtaining salt — Ineffectual measures of government — First discovery of refugee Starovertsi — Their patriarchal mode of life: system of administering justice; quarrels and dissensions ; crimes and immorality — Extraordinary punishment — Intercourse with Chinese —Necessity for adopting more effectual measures of government —They give themselves up to the Chinese and are sent to Kobdo — Captivity there — Release and return to Siberia — They open negotiations with Russian government — Interview with Lieut. Priyésjeff — Empress Catherine II. pardons them — Visit of M. Frintz in 1863 — Villages of Uimon and Koksa— Crossing the Holsun range — Camp in the forest — Bear-huntings adventures — Steep ascent of the pass — Splendid view — Precipitous descent — The Chemovoi or Black Water — Luxuriant vegetation — Apiaries — Valley of the Bukhtarma — Settlement of Sennoi — Bielki, or snowy mountains — Village of Fikalka — Farms of Kamenshiki — Bukhtarma honey — Warm summer — Fur districts — Mode of catching sables — Vagabond habits of Kamenshiki — Their comparison with outlawed communities in America — Conclusion