220 EXPEDITION TO KALMUK. 



Finding that my road to Kashgar took me 

 over the head of this pamir, and feeling that it 

 was not worth while to remain, being sure that 

 there were no rams of any size in the neighbour- 

 hood, I sent my caravan on to a place called 

 Pickand, and with the shikari hunted all the 

 ground that lay between, but only saw two herds 

 of arkars. There was no doubt, he said, a month 

 earlier we should have fared better ; but now the 

 snow was melting the rams had moved off, in 

 what direction he could not tell. 



Making our way down the steppe towards 

 evening, I saw a forest in the distance : this, my 

 shikari said, was the camping - ground. The 

 prospect of a plentiful supply of wood was a 

 pleasant one, as the nights were still very 

 nippy. Some Kirghiz came to visit me shortly 

 after we got in, but did not appear to know much 

 about the neighbourhood. 



I had a stiff climb next morning on to the 

 ridge, getting a most excellent view of the country 

 round, if nothing else. To the south, away over 

 the plains of Eastern Turkistan, were low ranges 

 of rocky hills, each one perfectly parallel to the 

 other, but not a sign of vegetation or water. 

 These spurs were evidently quite barren, so there 



