ST. PETERSBURG 29 



are swarffps to cross. It is also possible to travel 

 by stages, changing vehicles at each stage. Beyond 

 Katunda the travelling will have to be done on horse- 

 back. The journey from Bysk to Katunda takes 

 about five days. The nearest route to Belukha by 

 the north approach is along the valley of the Akkem, 

 three days* journey from Katunda. It is also pos- 

 sible to reach the source of the Katun river from 

 the south, but this takes about five days. 



" I can recomTiiend a hunter, one Innokenti Matai, 

 at Katunda, and another, the Kalmuck, Sollinka, who 

 lives in the valley of Kochourli, 12 versts from 

 Katunda. One rouble per day is fair pay for your 

 man, but he will also require 50 kopecks per day, 

 free of food, for riding or driving horses. 



" English saddles are quite useless ; you will 

 require cavalry or Altai saddles, and these you can 

 buy in the Altai, or from the merchant Oshlikoff, 

 at Nishni Ouemon, a village 17 versts this side of 

 Katunda. Rusks can be bought from' the Kalmucks— 

 the hunters will be able to make the necessary 

 arrangements. Tinned foods must be brought with 

 you, also sugar, tea, and coffee. Do not forget to 

 take a kettle, teapot, spoons, knives, and all English 

 accessories for climbing on ice, if Mr. Turner intends 

 to do this. Three weeks is too short a time in 

 which to do the Belukha, especially so early in the 

 spring. The end of March and the beginning of 

 April I hold to be a very bad time of the year, 

 as there are still large quantities of snow everywhere, 

 and I doubt whether it will be possible to get farther 

 than Katunda, except on show-shoes, and even this 

 is by no means easy in the mountains and will be 

 slow work. The best time for visiting the Altai is in 

 June or July. From" Katunda, however, it would be 

 possible to climb up the Saptam or Kyzyl mountains 

 and obtain a view of Belukha in the distance — about 



