4o8 DZUNGARIA 



and the great speed peculiar to the sand-grouse family. 

 The majority consisted of the common Central Asian 

 variety, Pallas' ; but there were also many large Black- 

 bellied Sand-grouse amongst them. This was probably 

 the great autumn migration of all the birds of the 

 Sergiopol and Semipalatinsk steppes to their winter 

 quarters, in the plain of Dzungaria. 



On October nth we camped outside the high walls 

 of Chuguchak. Although we had been travelling for nearly 

 five months, this was the first town of any description 

 we had entered since leaving the Siberian town of 

 Minnusinsk, which showed the true character of the 

 Siberian-Chinese frontier, — a sparsely populated nomads' - 

 land, not requiring much administration. Chuguchak 

 was a typical Chinese town, as seen throughout 

 China Proper, with high walls, great gateways, and 

 yamens. There we found ourselves once more in touch 

 with civilization, for the Russian element brought into 

 the town an atmosphere of the West, and progress was 

 represented by the post-office and telegraph-lines ; we 

 could here telegraph, if we wished, to Pekin or Europe, 

 and did, actually, receive letters from Europe. 



The population of Chuguchak is estimated at 9,000, 

 this figure including both Chinese and Russians, as well 

 as a very mixed community of traders who were called 

 Chantos if they were Chinese subjects, or Sarts 

 if they belonged to Russian Turkestan. There existed 

 also a small colony of true Russians and a few Tartars. 

 Business was at high pressure ; the streets were full 

 and the bazaars were crowded, the buyers being 

 chiefly Kirghiz and Kasaks from the surrounding steppe 

 purchasing their winter suppHes. An appearance of pro- 

 gress prevailed, as well as a somewhat blatant show of 



