KULDJA TO URUMTSI 145 



the Black Irtish valley, returning via Kobdo and 

 Urumtsi ; but in the end we had to give up the 

 idea. The exceptionally long and severe winter 

 prevented our leaving Kuldja in time, and also so 

 much increased the difficulty of getting fodder on 

 the way, that the only possible road was the main 

 one, by which we had meant to return. As we 

 considered that this would be altogether too long a 

 job, we reluctantly gave up the Ovis ammon. 



We heard from various sources that there were 

 big sheep to be found near Urumtsi, and decided to 

 go there to look for them, having, in fact, a faint 

 hope that the true O. ammon might occur even as far 

 west as this. The sheep are there all right, but are 

 very scarce, and we had no luck with them ; indeed, 

 from this on we got no sport to speak of. We saw 

 a great deal of country which I believe is quite new 

 to English sportsmen, and which I should most 

 strongly recommend them to avoid. It may be 

 interesting from a scientific point of view, but from 

 a shooting one it is certainly not so ; none the less, 

 I may as well give some description of the road and 

 of the sport which may possibly be obtained. 



To begin with, it is not at all a pleasant country 

 to travel in. With the exception of a few Kalmaks 

 along the edge of the hills, the inhabitants are 

 nearly all Tungans (Chinese Mahommedans), and 

 ordinary Chinese ; they are unpleasant enough 

 separate, but the two together would spoil paradise 



