THUNDERSTORMS. MOUNT SODI-SORUKSUM. 93 



of mosquitoes and flies, from which I had experi- 

 enced such tortures during my wanderings in the 

 forests of the Amur.^ We could not spare time to hunt 

 large game, which is scarce ; and during the whole 

 of our stay here I only shot two wild sheep, which, 

 with two small yaks bought of the Tangutans, sup- 

 plied us with provisions. 



Rainy weather continuing incessantly for days 

 tos^ether caused us (jreat discomfort, oblioj-ino- us to 

 sit idle in our tent without even a sight of the moun- 

 tains, which were thickly shrouded in mist. Now 

 and then we marched into the midst of a thunder- 

 cloud, and the lightning played all round us. The 

 moisture inside our tent was also very troublesome ; 

 although our guns were wiped every day, half the 

 Snider cartridges missed fire owing to the damp,''^ 

 The weather only became clearer on the lower 

 ground, and in the valley of the Tatung. 



Here we really felt the heat, although the water 

 in all the streams was too cold for bathing. 



We passed several days on the southern border 

 of the southern range, before crossing to the other 

 side, where we encamped near Mount Sodi-Soruk- 

 sum, considered to be the highest of these mountains. 

 Taking advantage of some clear weather, I made the 

 ascent, wishing to ascertain its height by boiling 

 water. After climbing 3,000 feet above our camp, I 



' Lieut.-Col. Prejcvalsky travelled in the Amur and Ussuri country 

 between the years 1 867-1 869, and he has published an interesting 

 narrative of his experiences in those regions. — M. 



^ It was so damp that we could not make the fire burn without 

 using a hand-bellows, which are in general use among the inhabitants. 



