INVITATION FROM THE ZAISSAN 299 



day. Littledale had spied a fine Stag about half a 

 mile above him, but had failed to approach him, 

 owing- to the carelessness of his shikari, who, on 

 arriving near the spot where they had noticed the 

 animal lying, went on without precaution, and startled 

 the beast, which they heard get up with a crash in the 

 dense underwood close by. The weather was now 

 fine and warm, but it almost froze at sunset. Our 

 friend the Zaissan, who was accompanying us, now 

 strongly induced us to visit his home on the Oulagan 

 River, a small tributary of the Bashkaous, promising 

 us plenty of Maral in the neighbourhood. We were 

 naturally delighted to accept his invitation, and made 

 a long march next day clown the main river (about 

 thirty versts). We fished on the way, my wife and I, 

 in some of the deeper pools we came across, and 

 caught several Grayling, averaging a pound each, but 

 on the whole our fishing in the Bashkaous was not 

 very successful, though we came across many likely 

 pools. The hills had now practically disappeared, 

 and the woods grew thinner ; large tracts of low 

 pasture ground stretched before us, and Kalmuk 

 settlements were more numerous. Now and again 

 we saw some smoky Kalmuk yourts, with two or 

 three haystacks in the vicinity (for the hay had just 

 been gathered), as well as many horse and goat skins 



