Page:England & Russia in Central Asia,Vol-I.djvu/50

30 the Chinese to husli the matter up, M. Potanin was permitted to depart ; but the Chinese authorities declined all responsibility for his safety if he proceeded elsewhere than to Kobdo, and otherwise than by the line of the pickets. M. Potanin crossed the Altai range by the Urmogaity pass (nine thousand feet), which is near the sources of the Kran; the Jamaty pass, which is generally used, being impracticable at that time of the year. M. Potanin is one of the very few European travellers who have explored this portion of the Altai range, and that region which lies round Dannkul and Talnor. On the 16th of October, M. Potanin reached the town of Kobdo, where he passed the winter. M. Potanin's journey is, perhaps, the only one that has been under- taken at the instigation of the Russian Government in the interests of pure science and geographical research. It is well to do justice to this solitary instance of the Russian authorities shomng that they have once recog- nised the wisdom of assisting an explorer whose explorations can bring them no political gain or military advantage.

Of the two recent Russian travellers [in Eastern Turkestan, we have received very meagre records of the geographical information which Captain Kuropatkine placed at the disposal of the Tashkent authorities; and in the lecture that he delivered in that city he confined himself to the military and political aspect of affairs in Eastern Turkestan. At that moment attention was absorbed in the progress of events round Turfan, where Yakoob Beg and the Chinese were in close proximity to each other; and Captain