PREFACE 



IN 1897 I devoted six months to a successful ex- 

 pedition on the borders of Siberia and in ^longolia 

 after Ovis aiuiuoji, the largest sheep in the world, an 

 account of which I have since published in a volume 

 entitled A/tei' IVi/d Sheep in the Altai and Mongolia. 

 Since then several short trips, one after ibex in 

 the Sierra Nevada, another to the Kouban district 

 of the Caucasus and to the Galician Carpathians, 

 and a third to Sardinia after moufflon, left my longings 

 for pursuit of game in more remote regions still un- 

 satisfied. Finally, in the autumn of 1899 circumstances 

 once more favoured four months' leave of absence, 

 durino- which time a oood deal mioht be done. Mv 

 wife and jNIr. St. Georoe Littledale were to be of the 

 party, and in our preliminary councils various sugges- 

 tions were made. '" Let us see ; a month or five weeks 

 will take us somewhere (the coveted x of the problem), 

 two months' shooting, and a month's journey back. 

 Why not Mombasa.^ Plenty of cartridges wanted. 

 How about the Yulduz valley ? Sure to get sheep 



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