KUNGES TO KULDJA 133 



a hundred pheasants in the day. The cover was 

 high scrub, with a few small trees in places, one of 

 them a thorn with a yellow berry, near which birds 

 were always plentiful. We used to beat with some 

 of our own men, assisted by a lot of Kazaks and 

 Kirghiz. The difficulty of making them keep any 

 sort of line was great, as they wanted to see the fun, 

 the art of shooting flying being new to them, and 

 much applauded, whilst our retrievers were a lasting 

 puzzle, as they could never understand how a dog 

 was taught to bring a bird instead of eating it. 

 One day we received a visit from some Lamas. 

 There is a monastery in the Kash valley, and two 

 of the chief men came to see us, bringing the 

 customary gift of silk scarves pretty but flimsy 

 which are the usual complimentary offering. They 

 asked many questions about Thibet, and were much 

 interested in us. 



More snow fell at intervals, till the covers became 

 very hard to beat, so we decided to move on into 

 winter quarters at Kuldja, shooting our last 

 pheasants near a ferry, by which the Hi river 

 is crossed again, at about thirty miles above the 

 town, the total distance from Kunges to Kuldja 

 being fifty miles. The use of oars being unknown, 

 the boat at the said ferry was towed by horses, 

 which swam the river to do it, a cruel business in 

 such weather ; how the poor brutes stand the cold 

 Heaven only knows, as the water was covered with 



