(London, September
1891); the Austrian and Russian staff maps, and the ethnographical maps of
Kiepert and Peucker.

(J. D. B.)

[v.03 p.0262] BALKASH, or BALKHASH (called by the Kirghiz _Ak-denghiz_ or
_Ala-denghiz_ and by the Chinese _Si-hai_), a lake of Asiatic Russia, in
the Kirghiz steppes, between the governments of Semipalatinsk and
Semiryechensk, in 45deg to 47deg N. and 73deg 30' to 79deg E., about 600 m.
to the east of Lake Aral. It is fourth in size of the lakes in Eurasia,
having an area of 7115 sq. m., and lies at an altitude of 900 ft. It has
the shape of a broad crescent, about 430 m. long from W.S.W. to E.N.E.,
having its concave side turned southwards; its width varies from 36 to 53
m. Its north-western shore is bordered by a dreary plateau, known as the
Famine Steppe (_Bek-pak-dala_). The south-east shore, on the contrary, is
low, and bears traces of having extended formerly as far as the Sasyk-kul
and the Ala-kul. The Kirghiz in 1903 declared that its surface had been
rising steadily during the preceding ten years, though prior to that it was
dropping. The chief feeder of the lake is the Ili, which rises in the
Khantengri group of the Tian-shan Mountains. The Karatal, the Aksu and the
Lepsa also enter from the south-east, and the Ayaguz from the north-east.
The first three rivers make their way with difficulty through the sands and
reeds, which at a quite recent time were covered by the lake. Although it
has no outlet, its waters are relatively fresh. It freezes generally from
November to April. Its greatest depth, 35 ft., is along the north-west
shore. The fauna of the lake and of its tributaries--explored by
Nikolsky--is more akin to the fauna of the rivers of the Tarim basin than
to that of the Aral; it also does not contain the common frog. It seems,
therefore, probable that Lake Balkash stood formerly in communication
through lakes Ebi-nor and Ayar (Telli-nor) with the lake that formerly
filled the Lukchun depression (in 89-1/2deg E. long, and 42-1/2deg N.
lat.), but researches show that a connexion with Lake Aral--at least in
recent times--was improbable. The lake has been investigated by L. S. Berg
(see _Petermanns Mitteilungen_, 1903).

BALKH, a city of Afghanistan, about 100 m. E. of Andkhui and some 46 m. S.
of the Oxus. The city, which is identical with the ancient Bactra or
Zainaspa, is now for the most part a mass of ruins, situated on the right
bank of the Balkh river, 1200 ft. above th