588 DZUNGARIA 



mainder of our time in Dzungaria almost entirely to 

 natural history and hunting. 



Between that town of stagnation, Barkul, and the 

 small wayside station of Ta-shih-tu, a plateau-like mass 

 of hills, with an average altitude of between 5,000 ft. and 

 7,000 ft., projects northwards from the main range into 

 the plains of Eastern Dzungaria. The bulk of this 

 uplift is of a very open nature, composed of low, rounded 

 hills with flats between. Water is scarce, only repre- 

 sented by small springs at long intervals, and these are 

 generally decidedly brackish. For this reason the nomads 

 visit the region only in winter, their place being 

 taken during the summer by large herds of gazelle 

 and kulon. 



When we marched through, westwards, the short 

 tufty grass, which possesses such marvellous feeding 

 properties, was in its prime, having been well watered 

 by the recently departed snow. Thousands of gazelle 

 and a few wild-asses, straight from their winter quarters 

 on the lowlands to the north, were busy making up for 

 their scanty winter fare. Almost all day game was in 

 sight, though rarely within shot. 



One delightful picture remains indelibly fixed in my 

 memory. It was on one of those invigorating spring 

 mornings with a hot sun, but clear, cool atmosphere, 

 which make the highlands of Central Asia such an ideal 

 summer resort. Carruthers and I were riding ahead 

 of the caravan, as was our custom, for to ride behind 

 camels requires the patience of a Job and an Oriental's 

 indifference to time. On reaching the crest of a rise, 

 we looked down on a miniature plain, perhaps a mile 

 long by half a mile broad, and surrounded by quite low- 

 hills. The bright green grass shooting from the earth 



