OUR INTENTION ABANDONED 221 



a country where it was doubtful if there were sheep, 

 with home-sick men and worn-out ponies. In addition 

 to all this we ran the risk of being snowed in by the 

 closing- up of the passes back into Siberia, and a 

 winter in a Chinese kai'aoul was by no means a 

 pleasant prospect. We also intended to devote the 

 end of August and part of September to shooting 

 Maral and Roe-deer in the wooded regions of the 

 Altai before returning to Europe. Besides, we had 

 run short of meat, and were obliged that very evening 

 to send Nicholas and another man to one of the 

 Kirghiz encampments on the shores of the upper 

 lake in order to buy a dozen sheep. These and 

 other reasons induced us to abandon our idea of 

 exploring the long-coveted Muss-Taou range, and 

 turn our attention northwards, where Taba told us 

 he knew of first-rate ground for Sheep and Ibex. 

 Looking back, after a period of three years, on the 

 circumstances here detailed I now regret that we 

 abandoned our original intentions on the faith of an 

 unknown native ; for the other difficulties in our way 

 would have been hardly worth mentioning. But 

 when the moment arrived for decision we all felt, 

 unequipped as we were, that further advance would 

 be foolish. Great were the rejoicings amongst our 

 natives when they learnt that on the morrow we 



