232 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



for some time, when turning north we ascended the 

 long grassy slope till we reached a series of plateatix 

 with rolling boulders here and there, separated from 

 each other by deep ravines. Snowy peaks could be 

 seen in the distance before us, as well as westwards 

 where Littledale had gone, and where the ground 

 appeared higher than where we stood. At first no 

 animal came in sight but a herd of the larger ante- 

 lopes. As we advanced along these fine pasture 

 grounds the valleys became deeper and rocks more 

 frequent till, in about a couple of hours, we reached 

 some very likely Ibex ground. From here I could 

 plainly distinguish the hills dividing two great empires 

 and which, according to my idea, were most probably 

 the southern slopes of the Happy Valley. From the 

 place where we now stood we could command a view 

 over a large stretch of broken country, and I soon 

 discovered, on the opposite slopes, nine or ten small 

 brown patches, which I at first took for wild sheep, 

 but which, examined through the glasses, appeared 

 to be a herd of Ibex feeding about a mile away from 

 us. There were six small males and three good 

 heads amongst them. There being no shelter from 

 our side, it was a question of making a very long 

 ddtour in order to get the chance of a shot ; but 

 I was very keen to secure a specimen or two of 



