Around Kazalinsk itself, however, there has been but little agricultural activity. In the main, development is confined to the fertile Agerskski valley and along the Kuban Daria, a tributary of the Syr Daria. The return is meagre and the population has not sufficient corn for its own needs. Large quantities of grain are annually imported into the neighbourhood from the Amu Daria district by boat across the Aral sea or by camel caravan. Railway traffic in this section nevertheless will not rely upon the carriage of cereal produce--live stock, which until the advent of the railway was sent to Orenburg by boat along the Syr Daria and then by caravan-road to the city, representing the prospective return which the district will bring to the line. The population is composed of: _Males._ _Females._ _Total._ 4478 4002 8480 Orthodox Russians 2205 Dissenters 1165 Jews 115 Mahommedans 4995 In the town there are: Private houses 578 Orthodox church 1 Synagogue 1 Mosques 2 Schools 4 Native universities 2 The revenue of Kazalinsk is 21,880 roubles. The town contains the residences of a district governor and an inspector of fisheries, together with district military headquarters, the administrative offices of the treasury and the district court, besides a district hospital and a public library. There are no hotels. In early days in the conquest of Turkestan, when the Kazalinsk road served as the only line of communication with European Russia, the town became a busy mart for Orenburg, Tashkent, Khiva and Bokhara; even now the Kirghiz in the district possess 770,000 head of cattle. Trade was obliterated by the advent of the Central Asian railway; but it is hoped that now the Orenburg-Tashkent line has been opened to traffic it may revive. The village of Karmakchi which is situated on the banks of the Syr Daria is another point in this district. It boasts only a small population, in all some 300 odd, an Orthodox church, post and telegraph office, two schools, hospital and military base office. Importance attaches to the post as it is upon the high road along which is conducted the winter trek of the Kirghiz. The value of the annual export trade of the region is: EXPORTS. _Poods._ _Roubles._ Wool { Sheep } { Camel } 200,000 } Hides 150,000 } 2,000,000 Lard 150,000 } Cattle 400,000 The value of the annual import trade amounts to: IMPORTS.