THE NOMAD HERDSMEN AND HERDS OF THE STEPPES. 469 



distasteful to a European palate, and a yellow curd very agreeable 

 even to our taste, which, like the cheese, is stored up for use in 

 winter, when it is dissolved in water to make a sort of soup. Cow's 

 milk, on the other hand, they use chiefly as sour milk, and only 

 rarely make into curds, cheese, or butter, while that of mares and 

 camels is used for making the koumiss so often described. This is 

 a milk- wine made by allowing milk to ferment for four days, and 

 by constantly shaking and beating it. It is much appreciated, and 

 indeed justly prized among the Kirghiz, and the well-to-do among 

 them often drink it to intoxication on festive occasions. 



During summer even the wealthier Kirghiz live almost entirely 

 on milk in various forms, for they only kill a member of their herd 

 for a festival or on some specially important occasion. When winter 

 sets in, however, sheep and goats, horses and cattle, even camels are 

 killed. The flesh of the horse, especially of the mare, is looked on 

 as the noblest, that of cattle as the worst and poorest food. The 

 flesh of sheep ranks next to horse flesh; camel flesh is good for the 

 soul's health; goat flesh is a mark of poverty, or is set before a guest 

 in expression of contempt. Of the slaughtered horse the loins are 

 most highly prized, and the breast of the sheep. A dainty of the 

 first order is the belly fat of a young horse; this is therefore salted, 

 made into smoked sausages, and set before the honoured guest with 

 as much ceremony as the koumiss itself. 



The Kirghiz turns to profit not only the edible portions but 

 every usable part of the animals he rears. From the wool of the 

 sheep he prepares the indispensable felt; he weaves and spins the 

 hair of the camel, and the mother lays her new-born babe in its soft 

 down-like under wool. The long hair of the goat is made into 

 fringes for rugs and cloths, or into tassels or cords; the short woolly 

 hair is spun and woven into bands for the yurt, and the hair of the 

 horse's mane and tail is plaited into much-prized leading-reins or 

 cords for the yurt. Sheep-skin furnishes the ordinary winter fur 

 coat; the skins of lambs and kids make valuable fur- trimmings; 

 the flocks of wool rubbed off make good wadding for lining other 

 garments, and the skins of all the animals supply leather of different 

 kinds. The Kirghiz barters the superfluous or little-prized fat of 



