KIRGHIZ CAMPS. 233 



us from the Pamirs of Rangkul, Sariz, and 

 Alichur. 



The third day brought us to our camping- 

 ground, a big flat, with good stretches of grass. 

 There were three or four Kirghiz camps dotted 

 about on the plain, amongst them that of the 

 Malik, conspicuous by the large yurt in which 

 he lived. The wind had been blowing a hurri- 

 cane in our faces and was bitterly cold, so that 

 I was very glad to accept his invitation and sit 

 down in his dwelling until the caravan came up. 

 We had a talk over the shooting on the Karaart, 

 about which he said I had been misinformed. 

 Formerly there were plenty poli, but an epi- 

 demic two years ago had cleared most of them 

 off; the few that were left were always on 

 the move, and very difficult to find. He gave 

 me the name of a Kirghiz, Harim Khan, who 

 knew the pamir well, and if any one could show 

 me sport, he was the man to do it, and when I 

 had had enough of that part, could conduct me 

 over the pass to Karakul. 



My things having now arrived, we pitched the 

 camp hard by ; but first had to attend to one of 

 the ponies, who was in a very bad way, some- 

 thing having stuck in his throat too low down 



