A Night in the Jungle. 



I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the two Kalmuks 

 from Shota, as Sogoon did not know the ground at all well, and I 

 was only passing the time with him pending arrival of the others, 

 to whom the country was quite familiar. 



A sheep was brought up to camp to-day, so starvation, which 

 threatened, was averted, at all events temporarily. On the 20th, 

 still feeling sick and sorry at the loss of the bears the previous 

 day, I did not turn out very early, but at noon, taking only 

 blankets, went off and spent the night in the jungle with 

 Sogoon and Giyani in the hope of being able to find game. We 

 took a turn in the afternoon from the bivouac, but only saw 

 three roe-deer, late in the evening, when it was almost dark, and 

 even they might not have been bucks. 



We therefore came in and chewed maize in default of flour to 

 make bread, the latter commodity having become exhausted and 

 fresh supplies not yet arrived from Kulja. Giyani, during my 

 absence, had hollowed out a fine resting place under a gigantic 

 pine, and spread my valise and bedding thereon, quite a 

 luxuriant couch, where I slept the sleep of the just till break 

 of dawn. 



After breakfast we started off into the forest, taking the ponies 

 with us, as I had hurt my back the previous afternoon trying to lift 

 some heavy logs for the camp fire, and walking, at any rate 

 with me, was out of the question. We made a long tour round, 

 but saw nothing, and as the pain in my back made any exertion 

 a torture I came back to the main camp in the afternoon, intend- 

 ing to move further down the valley on the morrow. 



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