234 KASHGAR TO THE KARAART PAMIR. 



for me to get at. Unfortunately it was one of 

 the best, a Kalmuki, a good willing beast, never 

 sick or sorry. He died in the morning, much 

 to the joy of the Kirghiz, who very soon cut 

 him up and carried off the meat ! I found a 

 solid ball of grass had stuck at the base of the 

 gullet. At the last camp a Kirghiz had given 

 me some coarse dry stuff, and the poor animal, 

 who was always ready for his food, had gone at 

 it in too much of a hurry, and this was the result. 



Getting to the head of this pamir, we crossed 

 the Kosh-beli Pass, 15,500 feet, and gradually 

 descended to a valley running down from the 

 Karaart (black earth) range, which divided it 

 from the Karakul Pamir. 



My shikari took me to a grass flat where 

 rather a rugged yurt was standing, the only oc- 

 cupant of which was a child of about six years 

 old, who gave tongue lustily when we appeared 

 at the door. It soon made friends, and the 

 mother coming in, told us that her husband had 

 gone off hunting, but would be back next day. 

 There was not much, she said, to be had in 

 the immediate neighbourhood, but higher up 

 we should find more. 



I was off before daylight, and got on to a 



