a. The Great Eastern Port-Tarbogotai line. b. The Great Eastern Port-Urga line. c. The Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai line. d. The Nanking-Loyang line. e. The Nanking-Hankow line. f. The Sian-Tatung line. g. The Sian-Ninghsia line. h. The Sian-Hankow line. i. The Sian-Chungking line. j. The Lanchow-Chungking line. k. The Ansichow-Iden line. l. The Chochiang-Koria line. m. The Great Northern Port-Hami line. n. The Great Northern Port-Sian line. o. The Great Northern Port-Hankow line. p. The Hoangho Port-Hankow line. q. The Chefoo-Hankow line. r. The Haichow-Tsinan line. s. The Haichow-Hankow line. t. The Haichow-Nanking line. u. The Sinyangkang-Hankow line. v. The Luszekang-Nanking line. w. The Coast line. x. The Hwoshan-Kashing line. a. The Great Eastern Port-Tarbogotai Line This line begins at the Great Eastern Port on the seaboard, and runs in a northwesterly direction to Tarbogotai on the Russian frontier, covering a distance of about 3,000 miles. If Shanghai be the Great Eastern Port, the Shanghai-Nanking Railway will form its first section. But if Chapu be chosen, then this line should skirt the Taihu Lake on the southwest through the cities of Huchow, Changhing, and Liyang to Nanking, then crossing the Yangtze at a point south of Nanking, to Chiantsiao and Tingyuen. Thence, the line turns westward to Showchow and Yingshang, and enters Honan province at Sintsai. After crossing the Peking-Hankow line at Kioshan, and passing Piyang, Tanghsien, and Tengchow, it turns northwestward to Sichwan and Kingtsekwan, and enters the province of Shensi. Ascending the Tan Kiang Valley, it passes through Lungkucha and Shangchow, and crosses the Tsinling Pass to Lantien and Sian, the capital of Shensi, formerly the capital of China. From Sian, it goes westward, following the valley of the Weiho. It passes through Chowchih, Meihsien, and Paoki and enters the province of Kansu at Sancha, thence proceeding to Tsinchow, Kungchang, Titao, and Lanchow, the capital of Kansu. From Lanchow it follows the old highway which leads into Liangchow, Kanchow, Suchow, Yumen, and Ansichow. Thence it crosses the desert in a northwesterly direction to Hami, where it turns westward to Turfan. At Turfan this line meets the Northwestern Railway System and runs on the latter's track to Urumochi and Manass where it leaves that track and proceeds northwesterly to Tarbogotai on the frontier, crossing the Shair Mountain on the way. This line runs from one end of the country to the other encountering in its entire length of 3,000 miles only four mountain passes, all of which are not impassable for they have been used from time immemorial, as trade highways of Asia. b. The Great Eastern Port-Urga Line