- . 



CHAPTER III. 



Strut from Kosh-Agatch — Steppe — Camp — Up Tchagan-Burgaza Valley 

 — First sight of Wild Sheep — Kotchkor — Arkhar — Snow Bridge 

 — Pitching Camp — First Shooting Camp — Kalmuk Vocabulary — 

 Cold Nights— Stalks— The Happy Valley {Bain-Tchagan) — More 

 Stalks— Snow and Wind. 



Haying concluded all our preparations at Kosh- 

 Agatch, dried our baggage, and placed two months' 

 stores under lock and key in the Customs warehouse 

 (taking with us provisions for a month), we started 

 at noon on June 15th. Early that morning the place 

 presented an unusual sight. Our Kalmuks, presided 

 over by the Zaissan, began catching the horses, 

 which were quartered in a large wooded enclosure, 

 with lassos, Littledale and myself picking out those 

 we considered the best. Although the natives were 

 skilful enough in the art of lassoing, this job took 

 a couple of hours, numerous misses being scored, and 



after a miss the ponies having to be driven round 

 90 



