A LOFTY ELEVATION. 127 



pine pole — they ceased altogether. By day- 

 light we could see that every field of grain 

 was traversed m every direction by bear 

 tracks, and all along our path were signs of 

 their presence and the ravage they committed 

 on the crops ; but to look for the bears in the 

 daytime, in the dense jungle which bordered 

 our path, would have been a hopeless alFair. 



At last, about 2 p.m., when our ever up 

 hill path had reached an elevation of 2,000 

 feet alcove sea level, and we had already 

 arrived in a cul-de-sac of grey rocks, backed 

 and ended by a great glacier descending from 

 a range of snow peaks in front of us, whence 

 rose the river Tchosura, our guide Yassili 

 stopped on a certain grassy knoll, and having 

 lighted his pipe and seated himself, whistled 

 loud and long. 



Before the whistle was well ended, our 

 party received an addition in the form of a 

 tall well-knit man of Radcha, clad in garments 



