A Terrible Blizzard. 



I had been warned of the possibility of encountering a blizzard, 

 so had seen all the loads firmly fastened and everything rendered 

 as secure as possible, in order to avoid unnecessary work at 

 reloading on the way when every moment might be of 

 importance. 



I had also foreseen the likelihood of frost bite being an enemy 

 to cope with and had therefore carefully instructed Giyani, Rasul 

 and Yusuf, to come to me the moment they felt any part of the 

 body getting into a state of numbness, when I could check the 

 effects of it by vigorous rubbing with snow. Strange as it may 

 seem this treatment appeared to them the last thing that should 

 be done, and this well-known and only cure for frost bite, 

 when the parts affected are not too far gone, seemed to the 

 Oriental way of reasoning a fallacious remedy. In the light 

 of after events had Giyani but obeyed my injunctions much 

 that was to eventuate might easily have been avoided. 



Despite all my precautions to lessen the fatigue of the animals 

 and make the march as easy as possible, the deep snow and 

 consequent heavy going told severely on the animals, and the 

 progress of the caravan was constantly checked as ponies 

 became exhausted and unable to struggle ahead without pro- 

 longed resting. The cold was extreme, whilst at intervals the 

 whistle of an Arctic blast foretold the approach of rough 

 weather. Some idea of the rate of progress may be drawn from 

 the fact that forging along in this way it was late in tlie afternoon 

 before we were half way to Burtakhoi, the Kazak encampment 

 situated amongst the bush jungle in the central part of the Irtish. 

 Once there all dangers and difficulties would be practically 

 over, at any rate for that day. 



But we were not to escape so easily, for at 4 o'clock a blizzard 

 came on, the strength and force of which was terrific, driving 

 the snow along in dense clouds so that the ponies, unable to stand 

 sucli a battle of the elements, turned round and refused to face 

 the blast. It seemed impossible that anything human or animal 

 could withstand that appalling wind, and it was only with the 



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