338 SHORES OF THE CASPIAN. 



found a herd of antelope, they proceeded to surround 

 and break it up, so that the quarry might separate. 

 Then each man chose his own prey, and for the 

 first part of the day followed it slowly from place 

 to place, never pressing it hard enough to make it 

 gallop any distance, yet never losing sight of it. 

 In this way travelling slowly over the unfrozen 

 snow, which ' balled ' fearfully on its pointed feet, the 

 antelope became weary and harassed, the continual 

 slow pace tiring it far more than a smart gallop, 

 during which the snow would not have so much 

 chance of clinging to the flying feet. When the 

 poor little beast is sufficiently exhausted, the hunter 

 begins to close in, and even should the antelope 

 make a dash at the last it is ten to one it gets 

 headed by one of the hunter's comrades. If, how- 

 ever, it lets the Tartar get tolerably near, he drops 

 his hound from its place beside him for the first 

 time, and cheering him on with voice and example, 

 speedily runs down the already exhausted prey. 



What puzzled me most was how the Tartars 

 induced their dogs to retain their equestrian posi- 

 tion, but I presume early training will teach the 

 dog as much as it does the man. 



Whilst staying in Tiflis, I first heard the report of 

 the ' black death ' or black small-pox, as the Russians 

 called the plague which was devastating Astrachan; 

 and fearing lest the story should be true that 

 it was spreading with rapid strides towards Russia, 



