223 FlSHhVG. A THAW. 



and hardly ап)^ specimens were added to our orni- 

 thological collection, the weather continuing cold, 

 snowy, ^ and tempestuous during the latter half of 

 March. 



Our fishing was far more successful ; for although 

 we only caught one kind, the Schizopygopsis (nov. sp.), 

 yet this was in such quantities that on one occasion 

 we actually hauled out with our small thirty-one foot 

 casting net a hundred and thirty-six of them, averag- 

 ing some two feet in length and nearly three pounds 

 in weight. These, with the birds and antelope that 

 we shot, were our exclusive food at this time. The 

 roe of the fish, however, proved very unwholesome, 

 and after eating it we were all seized with violent 

 sickness, dysentery, and pains in the stomach. For- 

 tunately the Mongol who was with us had not 

 touched any, and was able to make a fire, at which 

 we prepared hot poultices, taking internally some 

 excellent cholera drops which we found in our medi- 

 cine chest, and by these means we were all right the 

 following day. 



Towards the end of March the weather became 

 less severe, and on the 29th the lower course of the 

 Pouhain-gol was free of ice, the lake still remaining 

 frozen except near the mouths of streams. But the 

 heat of the sun gradually thawed it, and on the 6th 

 April a gale of wind suddenly sprang up and dis- 

 persed the ice. On the 7th large open spaces might 

 be seen in all parts of the lake, whilst fragments of 



' Snow fell seven times in the latter half of March ; in the (irst 

 fortnight in April it neither snowed nor rained once. 



