TAKLA MAKHAN. 177 



by old Rahamut, my groom, whom I always took 

 about with me as interpreter, and it at once con- 

 firmed my belief in the tame origin of the present 

 so-called wild camels and horses found in these 

 regions. The horses, I had been told by those 

 who had seen them, amongst others old Raha- 

 mut and Barat Akhone, a previous shikari, in- 

 habit the edges of the desert. They go in herds, 

 vary as much in colour as the tame ones, and 

 have long hair and flowing manes and tails. In 

 height they are pretty much the same as the 

 ponies of the country, 13.3 or thereabouts. They 

 are very wild, are sometimes shot, but never 

 caught. 



The camels also vary in colour, like tame ones, 

 from ashy white, running into the sort of blue 

 brown of the specimen that I had, to nearly black. 

 These variations in colour are a great point 

 against their indigenous origin. They do not 

 show any of the characteristics of the Bactrian 

 camel, now in general use, and must belong to 

 another breed, probably brought from China. 



After discussing Takla Makhan and the wild 

 camels, my shikari said he would take me to the 

 place where he had killed the last one. It was 

 accompanied by two half -grown young ones, 



M 



