SPORT ON THE PLATEAUX 325 



On informing him that we intended to spend a few 

 days hunting in the neighbourhood, he advised us to 

 visit the chief of the Altai Uriankhai, Hving in the 

 Chagan-gol Valley, two marches farther on, who would 

 be able to provide us with horses and hunters. He 

 said that there were none in the vicinity of Suok. 



The storm raged all through the next day, pre- 

 venting us from moving. The wind howled through 

 the tents, driving the snow under the flaps, and us into 

 our blankets, where we spent the day reading and 

 trying to keep warm. 



September ist broke still and clear, but three inches 

 of snow covered the ground, and this produced a terrible 

 glare in the powerful sunlight. A short march over 

 undulating foot-hills brought us to the broad river-bed 

 of the Uigur, as the upper Suok River is called. We 

 were now close under the western end of the lofty, 

 rounded Bain-Khairkhan mass which fills up the area 

 between the Chagan-gol and Suok Rivers. The evening 

 was spent in rifle-practice, much to the interest of some 

 inhabitants, who thought it a frightful waste of ammuni- 

 tion, but thoroughly appreciated the empty cases. 

 The range and accuracy of our weapons were a revela- 

 tion to them. 



The next march was done very rapidly ; we changed 

 horses half-way at a small encampment, named Belota. 

 After crossing the low, western end of the Bain-Khairkhan 

 ridge, we suddenly came upon the Chagan-gol Valley. 

 At this point it is broad and sandy, with several small 

 lakes linked by a sluggish stream. The sides of the 

 valley are composed of old moraines, through which 

 the stream has cut its way. Away to the south in the 

 direction of Dolto Nor, the head of the Kobdo River, 



