THE GAME OF THE PLAINS 583 



happy hunting-ground is at last reached, several months 

 of strenuous hunting are necessary, often without the 

 assistance of any one who can be dignified by the title 

 of shikari, before a few good heads of, perhaps, four or 

 five varieties are obtained. I am taking it for granted 

 that, to any one keen enough to face the vicissitudes of 

 such an undertaking, trophies of only the first quality 

 are acceptable. 



It was in January, while on our way from Kulja to 

 Urumchi, along the road with the misleading title 

 of " The Imperial Highway," or, as it is better known 

 to the Chinese, " Pei-lu " (North Road), that we first 

 came properly in touch with the Dzungarian gazelle 

 (Gazella subgutiurosa). To the Chinese it is known 

 as " hwang yang " (yellow sheep), to the nomads as 

 "kara karuk " (black tail), and to the Chantos as 

 " jeran." Near Sairam Nor we passed several camels 

 laden with frozen carcasses of these gazelle, and wild boar, 

 which were being sent by the Kalmuk chiefs to the Tzian 

 Tziun resident at Sweeting. This exalted personage has 

 entire control over all the nomads of these parts ; hence 

 these diplomatic gifts. 



After leaving the exposed Sairam Nor basin, which 

 lies at an altitude of 5,600 ft., and possesses a very just 

 reputation for excessive cold in winter, we rambled — ^in 

 our carts — down over a stony steppe to the little village 

 of Takianzi, situated among small scrub and tall reed 

 beds. We reached the seria in the early morning, after 

 a terribly cold night in the carts. Several herds of gazelle 

 had been passed on the road, so that a broken wheel 

 formed a welcome excuse for devoting a day to hunting 

 in the vicinity. The news of our decision having been 

 flashed through the small bazaar, we were besieged by 



