UNWILLING KALMUKS 139 



we gave it up, thoroughly disgusted, and returned 

 to camp under the scornful looks of the rams, which 

 did not even honour us by getting up as we departed. 

 At 6 p.m. we were under canvas again, indulging 

 in a roast fillet of sheep which had caused us many 

 a bitter hour. Littledale had also been unsuccessful, 

 and it was decided that we should under no pretext 

 whatever "linger any longer," but shift camp on the 

 following day across the frontier. On June 25th, 

 after a stay of eight days, we finally quitted our 

 first hunting grounds for the unknown Mongolian 

 plateaux in search of fortune. The start was to 

 take place as early as possible, but it was not till 

 9 a.m. that the ponies were loaded, a desperate 

 chase after several stray ones having lasted not less 

 than three hours. Our Kalmuks being extremely 

 unwilling to visit foreign countries, lazy in ordinary 

 times, accentuated as much as they could this defect 

 of theirs. Poor Yakoub, the demitcha, was at a loss 

 to enforce his orders, and, though several incidents 

 occurred in which the whip played a great part, it 

 was principally owing to the energetic demonstrations 

 of Nicholas, Cristo, and Gabriel that we eventually 

 formed anything like a caravan. We started down 

 the main river, and, crossing it, began following up 

 one of the small tributaries of the Bain-Tchagan 



