CHINESE TARTARY, also called Chinese Turkestan, is a great depressed valley, shut in by mountains of great height on three sides, and on the east are barren sands, which merge imperceptibly into the great desert of Gobi. It comprised two great divisions, viz. Zungar or Mughholistan, and Kashgar or Eastern Tur kestan, on the N. and S. respectively of the intersecting range of the Tian-Shan mountains. The northern portion was called by the Chinese Tian-Shan Peh-Lu, and the southern, Tian-Shan Nan-Lg. The first of these has lapsed in great part to Russia. The Tian-Shan range separates it from Zungaria, the Bolor range from Transoxiana, and the Kara Koram and Kouen,Lun from India and Tibet on the south. The land,is clayey near the base of the mountains, but sandy in the central tracts. Rain is rare, and the air is of exceeding dryness, but the climate is temperate and healthy. It is well watered from the mountains, the waters converging towards the Ergol or Tarym. The country has gold, copper, salt, e,ulphur and the jade-stone. The southern line of the caravan route passes through it from Khamil to Aksu and Kashgar. From Aksu to Khokand is spo It
was subject to China from the beginning of the Christian era, to the time of Chengiz Khan. After the middle of the 18th century, the Chinese power regained possession of it. Alti-Shahr, or the six cities, forms the western district, comprising Yarkand, Kashgar, Khotan, Aksu, Yanghisar, and Oosh-Turfan, with territories subordinate to each. Eastern Turkestan is eminently Mahomedan. Yarkand is the entrepot of trade between China and Bokhara. Khotan, from the time of C'tesias, has been celebrated for its mineral products, its jade and emeralds, its shawl wool,' and flax. It was at one time the entrepot of a vast trade with Hindustan, and now imports largely furs, broad cloth, leather, and sugar. In the latter part of the 19th century, there was a short-lived Maho medan uprising, from which sprang difficulties between China and Russia, the latter havino. taken possession of the province of Ili, and the town and district of Kuldja.