556 DZUNGARIA 



occasion with a final carouse, so that, when they did 

 at last turn up, they were mostly incapable. 



The replies to our questions as to the sporting possi- 

 bilities of our venture were, on the whole, satisfactory; 

 but long experience had taught us not to put too much 

 trust in native report. The natives always say what 

 they think will please. " Gayeek tolla " (plenty of game) 

 is the invariable reply, whatever the true facts may be, 

 from Stamboul to the Altai. 



Two marches along the foot of the mountains, crossing 

 numerous boulder-strewn water-courses, and dodging 

 protruding buttresses, brought us to the Karaul, which 

 guards one of the few passes over the Ala-tau. In 

 1908 I had crossed this very pass on my way from the 

 Altai to Kulja, via Lepsinsk. The appearance of the 

 country had then struck me favourably, but a lengthy 

 programme and a short season had prevented investi- 

 gation. 



With the exception of a small post of three men 

 farther up the valley, we had now left the last habitation 

 behind ; so we decided to move along slowly, hunting as 

 we went. 



Carruthers and I agreed that he should have the 

 monopoly of ibex, since he had never yet secured a 

 specimen, whilst I had shot several good ones in the 

 Tian Shan ; and that the sheep were to be my portion, 

 he having shot them on the Aksai plateau. 



The southern slopes of the Ala-tau drop very abruptly 

 into the valley ; they are steep shale and grassy slopes, 

 with protruding buttresses ; there are no foot-hills in 

 the proper sense of the word. The spruce-forest which 

 darkens the northern declivities is entirely absent here, 

 though the torrents that leap down from the snowy 



