DINNER; CRAVINGS OF HUNGER. 219 



some questions or requests, till at length we would 

 have literally to turn them out of the tent. 



In the meanwhile the cravings of hunger re- 

 mind one that it is time to dine ; but луе must wait 

 till the soup made from hares or partridges killed on 

 the road is ready, or the mutton bought from the 

 Mongols cooked. The latter, however, we rarely 

 ate, owing to the difficulty of buying sheep, or the 

 necessity for paying double their value ; hence we 

 mainly depended on our guns for a supply of fresh 

 meat. 



Two hours after arriving at the halting-place 

 dinner is ready, and we fall to with wolfish appetites. 

 Our plates and dishes, knives and forks, are of the 

 simplest, and harmonise well W4th the other sur- 

 roundings : the lid of the saucepan in which the 

 soup is boiled serves for a dish, the wooden cups out 

 of which we drink tea are our plates, and our fingers 

 the forks ; table-cloths and napkins are dispensed 

 with. Dinner is soon over — we again drink brick 

 tea ; then we start off on some excursion, or after 

 eame. while our Cossacks and Monofol Qfuide take 

 it in turn to pasture the camels. 



Evening approaches ; the dying embers of the 

 fire are rekindled, and we boil our porridge and tea. 

 The horses and camels are driven to the tent ; the 

 former are tethered, and the latter, besides being 

 tethered, are made to lie down near our baggage, or 

 at a short distance to one side. Night descends — 

 the heat of the day is succeeded by the agreeable 

 coolness of the evening. We inhale a fresher air, 



