Ibex Shooting in the Thian Shan Mountains 



We were very much disappointed in not finding 

 wapiti in Jilgalong, where ten years ago there were 

 plenty, but owing to the constant hunting of this 

 fine stag for its horns, they are rapidly being killed 

 off. The horns, when in the velvet, are in great 

 demand among the Chinese as medicine, to be used 

 by the women at childbirth. A large pair brings 

 as much as $50, while the skins bring a good price 

 at all seasons of the year. 



After a consultation with Khudai, we returned 

 to the Kukturek, where we spent a couple of lazy 

 days, most pleasant after our hard work of the 

 past weeks, loafing about camp and shooting pheas- 

 ants in the afternoon, while he looked up a friend 

 of his who knew this part of the country. 



A couple of very long days found us on the 

 headwaters of this stream, where we were to leave 

 our camp, and, taking a few men, were to cross 

 an immense glacier to hunt in a country seldom 

 entered by natives. 



For two days a heavy storm kept us in camp, 

 but it cleared in the evening, and the third morn- 

 ing found us under way at dawn, so that we might 

 cross the glacier before the heat of the sun should 

 melt the new snow covering it. We had much 

 trouble in crossing the immense crevasses, whose 

 black depths were far from pleasant to look into, 



337 



