194 EXPEDITION TO KALMUK. 



at intervals were Kalmuki camps, with flocks of 

 sheep, cattle, and goats. 



I had expected to see yak again in these hills, 

 but was told none were to be found in the Tian 

 Shan. There were, however, ponies of a sturdy 

 breed that have the reputation of doing better 

 work than any others in Central Asia, but they are 

 very bad-tempered, and very difficult to manage 

 about feeding at first, as they will not touch grain 

 of any sort, and eat nothing but green food or 

 hay. They stand on an average from 13 to 13.3 

 hands in height. The ponies from the " Cossack " 

 country, as the district beyond the Tian Shan 

 range towards I Hi is called, are very similar, with 

 the exception that they run a little bigger and are 

 better tempered. 



Our camp that night was the last where we 

 might expect timber, the guide said, as the follow- 

 ing day we should get above the region of wood, 

 and should have difficulty even in finding sufficient 

 for cooking purposes, which was rather sad hearing. 



As we advanced up the river the jungle in the 

 river-bed gradually decreased, and we passed the 

 last Kalmuki camp, beyond which was no fuel, and 

 the cold was so intense that no one remained in 

 the winter. The hills on either side were less 



