404 FROM NORTH POLE TO EQUATOR 



singing, and dancing both within the family circle and in the public 

 gardens. The melody of nightingales accompanied the dance and 

 song; one forgot where one was. 



I used the time of our sojourn here to hunt " ullars ", mountain- 

 fowl resembling partridges, but as large as black-cock, and in so 

 doing not only became acquainted with the wild grandeur of the 

 Manrak mountains, but saw the life of the poorer Kirghiz herds- 

 men in a light new to me, and returned much satisfied with my 

 excursion. 



On the afternoon of the 31st May we again set off in our wagon, 

 making for the Black Irtish in order to meet General Poltoratski at 

 an appointed rendezvous in the Altai mountains. We drove rapidly 

 through the rich steppe-land, over coal-black soil, and afterwards 

 over the drier high-steppes till we came to the river, whose rolling 

 waves bore us next day to the lake of Zaizan. Hitherto all the 

 Siberian rivers and streams had seemed rather tedious; but on the 

 Black Irtish it was far otherwise. We got lovely views of the two 

 great mountains — Zaur and Altai — and the adjacent ranges, while 

 the fresh green banks, cheerful with singing birds, gladdened our 

 eyes and ears. A rapid cast of the net brought us an abundant 

 catch of delicious fishes, and proved that the river was as rich as it 

 was beautiful. On the 2nd June we crossed the shallow and muddy 

 lake, exceedingly rich in fishes, but attractive only in the peeps of 

 distant scenery which were to be got from its surface, and on the 

 next day we traversed the dreariest part of the steppe which we 

 had yet seen. Here, however, we made the acquaintance of three 

 most noteworthy steppe animals — the wild horse or kulan, the 

 saiga antelope, and Pallas' sand-grouse. Our Kirghiz secured a kulan 

 foal and shot one of the birds. In the evening we rested among 

 the spurs of Altai, and next day we met our former hosts at the 

 appointed place, and continued our journey under their guidance. 



It was a delightful journey, though wind, snow, and rain were 

 all too frequent, and robbed the pleasant yurt (which we carried 

 with us) of much of its comfort, though torrents barred our path, 

 and though we had to find our way along precipitous slopes such as 

 at home a chamois-hunter, but certainly no horseman would attempt. 



