THE KOSH-AGACH PLATEAU. 247 



forests of fir and cedar clothed the hillsides, and grass 

 and wild-flowers grew in riotous profusion ; and when 

 one morning I emerged from a wooded valley along 

 which the river Chuya worms its way, and was con- 

 fronted by the Kosh-Agach plateau, the change of 

 scenery came as a shock. Tree-life ceased abruptly, as 

 though a line had been drawn beyond which Nature 

 dared such things to pass ; a bleak uninviting expanse 

 stretched away to the east, and all round bare brown 

 hills filled in the view, recalling the triumphant sterility 

 of Tibet. This first impression was a little misleading 

 it is true, for a closer acquaintance revealed the fact 

 that the lower slopes of these hills are covered with 

 grass and a mass of gorgeous wild-flowers ; but above 

 the zone of grass and flowers rise cones of black and 

 brick-red shale, which at a little distance fill the eye 

 and stamp the impress of their horrid nakedness upon 

 the whole surrounding. 



The settlement of Kosh-Agach, consisting of a few 

 wooden houses built by merchants trading with Mon- 

 golia, a wooden church and a custom-house, has no 

 attraction of itself; and as soon as pack -ponies and 

 Kalmuk hunters were engaged, I hastened into the 

 mountains to the south, pitching my tents on the even- 

 ing of the second day at the foot of an odd detached ofi"- 

 shoot of the main range called "Tuzzi" or "the chest/' 

 close to the junction of the streams which flow down 

 valleys called Chagan Burgaza and Bain Chagan. 



Every sportsman knows that feeling of keen anti- 

 cipation which assails him when, after many days of 

 monotonous journeying thither, he at last finds himself 

 in the land of his desire. Excitement at the pos- 

 sibilities of the morrow, fear lest after all the quarry 

 may not be there, a still more disagreeable reflection 

 that if it is he may get a shot and miss ! combine to 



