120 



SOOROO PASS 



at tlie camp ground, a rough spot, completely covered 

 with wild leeks or onions, like a cultivated bed. Rain 

 came on, and we hunters were in a poor plight no shelter 

 whatever, and all the wood and herbage so wet we could 

 not raise a fire for an hour, though every dodge was 

 resorted to : my feet, being saturated, were miserably 

 cold. 



The tent and other things were late arriving : the rain 

 turned to snow, and it became bitterly cold ; and in the 

 afternoon the snow lay three or four inches deep, even on 

 the low ground. 



29th June. I awoke after a bitter cold night, which 

 much interfered with my sleep and comfort. The snow 

 still lay on the ground ; but the clouds breaking, giving 

 an occasional gleam of sunshine, every thing was put out 

 to dry. 



My dog Sara had been very busy yesterday working, 

 scratching, and digging, at a marmot's burrow. There 

 are numbers of these quaint creatures here constantly 

 seen sitting upright, and uttering a shrill whistle, like the 

 sound of a dog whistle. He continued his operations in 

 the most indefatigable manner to-day ; and, having nothing 

 else to do, all set to work to help him unearth the 'varmint 7 

 no easy job, as his earth was under a huge piece of rock. 

 However, at last t)ie poor little beast was assailed in his 

 citadel, and he fought viciously, tooth and claw, but was 

 finally secured by nooses passed over his hind feet, and 

 then dragged ignominiously out to the public gaze. Sara 

 made a rush on him, and tackled him, but not relishing 

 his teeth withdrew from the contest, and I put the poor 

 thing out of further pain by two or three blows on the 

 head. 



30th June. We moved on to new ground reported to 

 be frequented by ibex. Several parties, coming down 



