V 



PREFACE 



SOME three years ago my friend J. V. Phelps and 

 I determined to make a journey into Central Asia 

 to try and shoot the Altai wapiti, the great stag 

 of the Tian Shan. We knew very little about 

 him beyond the bare facts that he existed some- 

 where in those parts, and was said to be a very 

 fine beast (which he is, though he has been some- 

 what magnified by distance) ; consequently we were 

 filled with longing to shoot him, with results which 

 will be seen later. I am not much of a geographer, 

 but may here say that the Tian Shan is a great 

 range of mountains which, running east and west, 

 separates Chinese Turkestan from Russia in Asia. 

 The part which I propose to describe is that east 

 of Khan Tengri, where the boundary line is some 

 distance to the north of the main range. I have 

 only taken up the task of writing this book because 

 it seems a pity to spend so much time and trouble 

 in acquiring information without giving the benefit 

 of it to other sportsmen who may thus be saved 



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