Ibex Shooting in the Thian Shan Mountains 



about one hundred miles long, as here we were 

 told were the best hunting grounds. Ten days' 

 easy travel brought us to Przevalsk, where we 

 were very well received by the Governor, and spent 

 five days getting together our hunters, ponies, and 

 other things. Then, just as we were about to 

 leave for the shooting grounds, we received word 

 that shooting was forbidden, and that we must 

 return. We asked permission to cross the border 

 into China at Naryn Kul, a couple of days away, 

 but even this was denied us, and we were delayed 

 for more than two weeks getting the necessary per- 

 mission from our Ambassador at St. Petersburg. 



The day after our arrival, the Governor called 

 upon us, asking us to lunch with him next day, 

 which we did, and while waiting for lunch he had 

 his servant produce several heads of ibex and 

 sheep, which he offered to give me, saying, "Now 

 you need not go to the fatigue of shooting these 

 yourself. If you want more I shall send for them." 

 It was difficult to make him understand the Anglo- 

 Saxon idea of sport, more especially as every word 

 had to go through the interpreter, who could not 

 understand it either. 



The delay was all the more exasperating, as we 

 could see our hunting grounds from our bedroom 

 window, and every day native hunters were bring- 



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