2o AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



The next two clays were spent in visiting the 

 mines. The ladies drove down to see the platinum 

 washings, whilst we went after ducks on the lake ; 

 but the wind was so strong that we did not succeed 

 in getting any, and had to give it up. Through the 

 courtesy of General Pavlovsky, the chief inspector 

 of the West Siberian Railway, to whom I had wired, 

 a special car was placed at our disposal for our four 

 days' journey along the line to the Ob River, where 

 we branched off towards Barnaoul. This was, indeed, 

 a great relief to us, there being- nothing more tiring 

 for ladies than a long journey in a bad railway-car. 



Our house-car, for the next few days thus amiably 

 provided, arrived at Taguil on the 26th, and we went 

 to the station to see it. It was a comfortable first- 

 class carriage, with plenty of room for our part)-, 

 rifles, and hand-baggage — by no means a trifle. In 

 the meantime I had engaged the services of a cook, 

 Vassili by name, a young fellow who had worked in 

 the platinum mines, and was willing to accompany 

 us and show us his proficiency in culinary art. He 

 proved quite a success, and none of us ever regretted 

 having engaged him. On the afternoon of May 22nd 

 our anxiously expected impedimenta at last arrived, 

 and we began forthwith sorting our stores, packing 

 up what we strictly required into carefully weighed 



