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Chang Ch'ien personally visited the following countries: Tayuan, the Greater Yuehchih, Tahsia and Kangchu, and gathered informa- tion about other five or six big countries nearby. He reported to the Emperor the following: Tayuan was situated to the southwest of Hsiungnu and about ten thousand li to the exact west of the Han capital. The people were settled down and tilled the land. They grew rice and wheat in their fields and produced grape wines. The country was rich in good horses which sweated blood and were the off spring of a heavenly horse. There were walled cities and houses. The country encompassed more than seventy countries, big and small, and had a population of seve- ral hundreds of thousands. Its troops were armed with bows and spears, and included cavalry units. To its north was Kangchu, to its west the Greater Yuehchih, to its southwest Tahsia, to its north- east Usun, and to its east Hanmi and Yutien. All waters to the west of Yutien flew west into the West Sea (Aral Sea), and all waters to its east flew east into the Salt lake. The Salt Lake ran underground Southward and its water emerged to form the source of the Yellow River. Yutien was rich in jade and other precious stones. The River flew into China. There were Louland and Kushih which had walled cities and were on the shores of the Salt Lake. The Salt Lake was 5,000 li away from Changan. The western part of Hsiungnu was situated to the east of the Salt Lake and stretched up to the Great Wall in western Lung, and its southern part neighboured on the Ch'iang tribes across the Han path. Usun was about 2,000 li away to the northeast of Tayuan. It was a nomad people engaged in animal husbandry and had the same customs as the Huns. It had several tens of thousands of archers who were warlike and therefore willingly paid allegiance to the Huns. When later it grew in strength, it gathered its own subject tribes and refused to pay further homage to the Huns. Kangchu (Sogdiana) was about 2,000 li away to the northwest of Tayuan. It was a nomad people and had similar customs as Yuehchih. It had between 80 and 90 thousand archers. It was - 3 -