Kulja,

Kulja, a town of Zungaria, central Asia, stands on one of the great highways leading from China to west Turkestan, and on the Ili. This river rises on the northern slope of the Tian-Shan Mountains, and flows north and north-west into Lake Balkhash, after a course of about 750 miles. Kulja is the chief town of a fertile district that produces excellent corn, rice, cotton, tobacco, wine, and fruits, whilst its pastures support large herds of horses, camels, cattle, and sheep. This district (Kulja or Ili) revolted against China in 1865, was occupied by Russia in 1871, but ten years later restored to the Chinese. Russia, however, retained 4357 sq. m. of the western part, now incorporated in the province of Semiryetchensk. The Chinese province has an area of 23,130 sq. m. and a population of 70,000. In 1876 the population of the entire province whilst in Russian hands was 132,000. The town of Kulja has about 12,500, mostly Chinese inhabitants. New Kulja, 25 miles to the west, was destroyed by the rebels in 1866; previous to that date it had 75,000 inhabitants. See Proc. Roy. Geog. Soc., August 1880.