574 DZUNGARIA 



Many hours were wasted in attempting to approach a 

 herd with some good heads in it, for when, after much 

 patient restraint, I had got them into a suitable position, 

 three insignificant beasts which had been lying hidden 

 gave the alarm and stampeded their betters. 



As evening advanced, my old guide led the way 

 down to where he expected to find the camp ; but, 

 though we scoured the surrounding country and hunted 

 for tracks, not a trace could be found. Returning to 

 the high ground, two small tarns were visited, but with 

 the same result. It was by that time nearly dark, so, 

 discovering several large piles of tezek stacked like peat, 

 we decided to spend the night where we were. Judge 

 of our disgust when, after congratulating ourselves on 

 the prospect of a large fire, my match-box was found to 

 be empty, and my companion to be without the usual 

 flint and steel ! I am afraid that on this occasion I was 

 far from carrying out the theory of always being pre- 

 pared for a night out ; a lump of doughy bread, the 

 remains of lunch, alone constituted our food-supply. 

 The old Kalmuk, to whom such little inconveniencies as 

 this were of frequent occurrence, was quite content with 

 his morsel of bread, augmented with copious pinches of 

 nahs} I made myself as comfortable as I could on the 

 lee side of a pile of tezek, and, lying on a saddle-cloth with 

 a thick coat over me, I slept soundly till wakened by 

 the frost in the small hours of the morning. 



I shall never forget the commencement of that day, 

 perched up as I was in those lonely surroundings without 

 a sound breaking the stillness ; even the munching of 



^ Nahs is a form of snuff, made from a mixture of powdered tobacco 

 and the ash collected after burning a certain plant. It is not adminis- 

 tered through the nose, but scooped up on to the tongue from the palm 

 of the hand, and allowed to rest there while it slowly dissolves. 



