Across the Roof of the World. 



gradually drew nearer and proved to be Yusuf carrying an 

 old horn lantern. The camp was not more than a mile distant, 

 which I managed to. do at the cost of much pain and many halts, 

 more glad than can be imagined to reach the hut at last nfter 

 such a strenuous day. 



Giyani was better, but the skin of his hands had peeled 

 and the nails were loose, in addition to which he was unable to 

 move the joints at all, so there was no time to be lost in getting 

 to Zaisan. 



I was, however, obliged to halt here the next day whilst 

 my chariot was being repaired and made ready for the horribly 

 rough going down the Irtish Valley. 



January 3rd was dull and cold, with the thermometer 28 

 degrees below zero at seven in the morning, and the air keen 

 and sharp. The road led through scattered jungle and grass 

 country, with groups of auls here and there, and herds of horses 

 and cattle. Parts of the valley are covered with high and 

 dense grass, reaching in many places to six feet and more. On 

 the way I passed a Kazak cemetery, the few graves possess'ng 

 no ornamentation, being simply mud built and placed far from 

 any habitation as is the custom amongst these people. Graves 

 of the wealthier are surrounded by a wall of mud and in other 

 ways made to look more imposing. 



It was a long and desperately weary march that day, for the 

 tarantass broke down five times, and we exhausted our supply of 

 rope in patching up the front axle which was the root of all the 

 evil and refused to be put right. The pace was terribly slow 

 after the first breakdown, as every time we reached any ditches 

 or uneven parts of the track it was necessary to proceed with the 

 greatest care to avoid a sudden and unceremonious collapse. 



Soon after 4 o'clock darkness supervened, and the inky black- 

 ness, unrelieved by moon or stars, made it doubly hard work to 

 find our way through the long grass and reeds which cover the 

 Irtish Valley here. We must, however, have done a good 25 

 miles that day, finally arriving at a Kazak encampment on the 



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