404 THE MOUNTAIN OF STORMS 



the caravans that traversed that country, and partly from 

 his own travels. He told Humboldt of a lofty mountain 

 situated to the north-east of the great Balkasch lake. 

 This mountain had once been a volcano, and caravans in 

 passing it were frequently disturbed by the storms which 

 it occasioned. The inhabitants of the region in which it 

 stood endeavoured to propitiate it by sacrifices of sheep. 

 General Gens had not seen this singular mountain, but 

 he knew a Tartar who had visited it, or pretended to 

 have done so. It reminded Humboldt of the volcanoes 

 mentioned in the Chinese books, as lying far from the 

 ocean, the existence of which had divided the opinions 

 of geologists. He made it the subject of his investiga- 

 tions, and subsequently obtained more accurate imforma 

 tion concerning it from the Russian police-director of 

 Semipolatinsk. 



As Humboldt had seen but little of the Tartars that 

 inhabited the regions along his route, General Gens sent 

 a messenger to the nearest sultan of the Khirgises, and 

 requested him to come with his people into the neigh- 

 bourhood of Orenberg, and give the travellers a specimen 

 of their games and sports. A large number of Khirgises 

 soon made their appearance, and raised their tents a few 

 versts from the city. Then the sultan came, and paid his 

 respects to Gens and Humboldt. 



They drove out to the encampment, surrounded by a 

 band of Khirgises, who rode around the carriage at full 

 gallop, resting with their hands on the backs of their 

 horses, with their feet in the air. The sultan introduce I 

 the travellers to his wives who were seated in a row in 

 his tent, and the sports began. The first was horse- 

 racing. The jockeys drove off to the distance of seven 



