Across the Roof of the World, 



and prepare a fire in readiness for the others, who were numbed 

 with the cold wind, now blowing with increased violence. I 

 camped some four miles on the Kok Terek side amongst a forest 

 of pines, and had great hopes of the country round proving 

 prolific in wapiti, as it gave all tlie appearance of being first-rate 

 ground. 



The Thian Shan wapiti {Cerviis canadensis songaricus) is 

 one of the finest representatives of the deer family, and his 

 antlers constitute a magnificent trophy. The ground on which 

 he is found is mostly covered with vast pine forests intersected 

 by deep valleys, whose sides are usually steep and precipitous. 

 The best time for wapiti shooting is September, when the stags 

 are calling, and more easily located. As a general rule the forests 

 are densely timbered, the ground being littered with dead branches 

 and other obstacles, so that silent movement is a matter of 

 considerable difficulty. 



Tracking game is never an easy task, and this is particularly 

 so in the case of the wapiti, who, in addition to his other 

 attributes, is a great traveller and much on the move, sufficient 

 argument that he is difficult to come up with. 



Amongst the Chinese the stag's antlers have a medicinal 

 value when in the unformed state, so his pursuit is conducted 

 with a persistency that will soon cause him to become as 

 extinct as the dodo. The Chinese pay large sums for a good 

 pair of antlers, the price varying from 50 to 140 roubles in Russian 

 money. The horns are reduced to powder, and then used by 

 the Celestials for the cure of certain specific complaints, though 

 as to whether any good results therefrom is a matter of doubt. 

 Most of the Kazak and Kalmuk inhabitants of the Thian Shan 

 possess rifles of sundry patterns, and unfortunately are all too 

 successful in their quest of wapiti. 



The morning after our arrival in the last camp I started off 

 down the ravine to search for wapiti, or " boga," as they are 

 termed locally. It had ceased snowing during the night, and the 

 weather was quite clear and fine. I went a good way down the 



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