Gordon, Thomas Edward: The roof of the world: being the narrative of a journey over the high plateau of Tibet to the Russian frontier and the Oxus sources on Pamir (Edinburgh, 1876)

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TEAYELS IN TURKISTAN.

of cliscussion and difference among writers and geographers. Lat-
terly it has been generally accepted as signifying the <£ yellow
valley,” frorn tlie Turkisarik,” yellow, and “ kol,” valley. Hus-
sun Skah explained to me tliat he considered the narne to be a
corruption of the Persian <£ Sir-i-kok,” from the place being at a
great elevation. On finding the valley to be a continuation of
the Taghdungbash Pamir, I looked upon tlie governor’s ex-
planation as very probable, from the fact of <£ Sir-i-koh ” being
the Persian literal translation of the Turki Taghdungbash, both
meaning <£head of the mountain.” Nothing seems more likely
than that the Persian-speaking Sirikolis should, on settling in
the valley, give it a Persian narne, literally interpreting its
Turki one.

KIRGIIIZ AK-OI (wiIITK HOUSE).