86 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



almost omnipotent in his district, and generally rules 

 over his subjects in a most arbitrary fashion, Govern- 

 ment control amounting to very little, and the in- 

 habitants being at the lowest possible decree of 

 civilisation, if such it may be called. 



We were several times witnesses of punishments 

 inflicted on Kalmuks by the Zaissan's orders for slight 



I'ATL'HINC HokSKs. 



attempts at disobedience, and occasionally had to put 

 a stop to them. The usual mode of punishment con- 

 sists in flogging the wretched culprit in a most merci- 

 less way, till he sometimes loses consciousness. We 

 happened to be present at a milder example of this 

 performance on the following day, when the Zaissan 

 found one of the Kalmuks not helping to catch the 

 ponies for the start. He followed him on horseback 



