SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS 577 



the late summer buck- ibex carry great quantities of fat, 

 which is highly prized by all the natives. All through 

 this hunting- trip our followers dried and salted great slabs 

 of both ibex and sheep meat to take home withthem. 



Our return journey was made on the north side of 

 the valley, along a broad, grassy shelf below the main 

 ridge and above the cliffs that drop to the river. Several 

 herds of ibex were seen here, some of females and others 

 of bucks, feeding on the smooth, grassy ledge above the 

 cliffs, like rabbits outside a cover at home. One of 

 these herds was among the largest I have ever seen ; it 

 was composed of over a hundred bucks. Most of them 

 were small, but several carried horns which appeared to 

 me to measure not less than 50 in., though I got only 

 a hurried glance at them. A rough descent brought us 

 down to the river and camp. The welcome sight of 

 several pairs of ibex-horns in front of the tents proved 

 that Carruthers' spell of bad luck had at last broken ; the 

 best of them was a heavy, symmetrical head of 49 in. 



The question now arose whether we should remain 

 in this region — Carruthers to continue his search for big 

 ibex, and I to recross the ridge and continue my inter- 

 rupted sheep-hunt ; or should march at once for 

 Kulja, and from thence hurry up into Kok-su for a 

 few weeks' hunting before we started on our long 

 journey to India. 



The expedition to the Kok-su was at last decided 

 on, but we bitterly regretted our decision later, when, 

 owing to a lengthy delay in Kulja waiting for our heavy 

 baggage to arrive from Urumchi, it had to be abandoned. 



A long march brought us to the north end of Sairam 

 Nor, where several families of Kalmuks had pitched their 

 summer camps. What a different aspect the lake pre- 



