42 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



probably a branch of the Kashgar River, as the 

 water of the Yarkand River is muddy. The water 

 of the Kashgar River is quite clear at Maralbashi, 

 and it must evidently pass through swamps where 

 the mud has a chance to settle down. 



From Alaghur to Shamal the road runs through 

 jungle, chiefly a kind of poplar- tree, interspersed 

 with open glades and swampy patches covered with 

 high reeds. Here the Yarkand stag (Cervus kash- 

 meriensis yarkandensis) and jeron (Gaze I la sub- 

 gutturosa) are fairly abundant ; so at Aksakmaral I 

 interviewed the local shikari on the subject. In my 

 own experience, and I believe in that of the few 

 other sportsmen who have tried it, the pursuit of 

 this stag during the winter months is very little 

 good. The ground is then covered with dead 

 leaves, and in many places with a thin saline crust, 

 so that it is impossible to walk quietly ; and although 

 one sees plenty of tracks, and often hears the 

 animals themselves bolt through the thickets, there 

 is not much satisfaction to be got out of this. If 

 one knew exactly where a beast was, it would prob- 

 ably be possible to creep up ; but to crawl about 

 all day on the chance is not good enough. I had 

 an idea that something might be done during the 

 calling season, hence my inquiries. The shikari 

 said that the stags begin to call about the end of the 

 first week in October, that the call is rather a scream 

 than a roar, and that they would be easy to shoot 



