of the peaks still rise above the snow-line, and although less elevated than the Kaufmann Peak of the Trans-Alaï, they perhaps present a grander appearance, thanks to their greater relative height above the surrounding district.*
III.—THE TIAN-SHAN.
Of the Asiatic mountain systems sloping northwards this is the largest both in extent, elevation, the abundance of its snows and glacier masses. The title of Tian-shan, or "Celestial Mountains," was conferred on it by the Chinese, doubtless from the elevation of its snowy peaks blending with the fleecy welkin. Its lofty crests have ever formed one of the chief barriers to migration, conquest, and commercial intercourse, and these mountains have at all times been avoided eastwards by the Zungarian passes.
| Fig. 91.—Relative Area of the Tian-shan, Alps, and Pyrenees. | ||
| Scale 1: 24,000,000. | ||
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| Pyrenees. | Alps. | Tian-shan. |
 600 Miles.
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Till recently the Russians themselves, notwithstanding their military resources and superior culture, have stopped short at the northern base of the range, which for them formed the limit of the known world, and which was masked by vast deserts, swamps, and shallow lakes. Its passes are approached by no great river valley except that of the Sir-daria, which, like all the other streams flowing from the Tian-shan, is lost in a land-locked lake. Although forming the chief mountain mass of Asia north of the Himalayas and Kuen-lun, this range is nevertheless of far less hydrographic importance than the secondary
* Chief elevations of the Pamir and Alaï system:—
| Pamir. | Feet. | ||
| Feet. | Bash-Alaï | 11,000 | |
| Kizil-art Pass | 14,240 | Alaï-tagh, highest point | 19,330 |
| Kara-kul | 13,400 | Alaï-tagh, mean height | 16,000 |
| Uz-bel Pass, south of Kara-kul | 15,100 | Shchurovskiy Glacier, lower extremity | 11,900 |
| Snow-line | 15,500 | Kaufmann Peak, Trans-Alaï | 25,000 |
| Ters agar Pass | 9,850 | ||
| Alaï. | Trans-Alaï snow-line | 14,160 | |
| Terek-davan | 10,460 | Shelveli | 25,000 |
| Isfaïram | 12,000 | Saudal | 25,000 |
| Kavuk | 13,300 | Chabdara (Hissar Mountains) | 18,600 |
| Kara-kazik | 14,630 | Hasreti-Sultan | 15,000 |
