LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 213 



by stations in the ports of large towns where deputa- 

 tions of the educated inhabitants came to wish the 

 mission welcome. These functions had a cordial 

 and touching character, for it was obvious that such 

 enthusiastic demonstrations had for their source a 

 sincere cult for the knowledge whose representatives 

 were being feted ; it was touching to see such a living 

 ideal in this distant and oppressed land. 



At Tsaritsine, several Kirghiz embarked on our 

 boat in order to go to a large fair which the inhabitants 

 of the steppes attended in numbers. Metchnikoff 

 thought this was a unique opportunity to learn whether 

 there were any carriers of the plague bacillus among 

 those many natives coming from all parts of the steppes. 

 He therefore decided that those members of the ex- 

 pedition who had come to study plague would go to 

 the fair with the Kirghiz, whilst he, with the rest of 

 the expedition, would make observations on the 

 Kalmuks of the Astrakhan region. 



A most hospitable welcome awaited us there ; people 

 vied with each other in their efforts to assist the 

 expedition. The Governor-General of Astrakhan had 

 ordered all preparations to be made, and the mission 

 was provided not only with necessaries but with com- 

 forts which did much to alleviate the fatigue of the 

 long journey. 



Whilst waiting for our companions, we had time 

 to verify several diagnostical reactions, the Kalmuks 

 lending themselves willingly to the operation. We 

 heard later that they thought they were being vac- 

 cinated against small-pox, a disease much feared in 

 the steppes. 



As soon as the plague mission arrived, we started 

 towards the Kirghiz steppes, for there was a plague 



