EXPEDITION TO THE ALTAI 163 



and inoffensive race, unselfish and not quarrelsome, 

 but brave and enduring. Sometimes they lose 

 patience, as in a case we were told about, in which 

 the Kalmucks had compelled the chief of police to 

 take refuge in a boat and row out into the 

 middle of a lake, as they threatened to kill him: 

 for raising their taxes. I have seen the Cossacks 

 and the Kalmucks, and I think that the latter are 

 better horsemen, better huntsmen, and better men 

 all round. They deserve all the encouragement the 

 Russian Government can give them, and would make 

 excellent soldiers if the Russian nation would allow 

 them" to enlist. They are excellent judges of grazing 

 land, and their cattle, which are never looked after, 

 increase in numbers and find abundant food for theiri- 

 selves all the year round. As a consequence, the 

 Kalmticks own enormous numbers of heads of sheep 

 and cattle, which are sold very cheaply : sheep selling 

 at ss., and 6s. a head, and other cattle and horses 

 in proportion. The horse is the Kalmuck's com- 

 panion and friend; he keeps it as long as he possibly 

 can, and, when it is too old to work, he kills it 

 and eats the flesh. The bark huts of thjese pjeople 

 are found in all the prettiest spots in the mountains 

 and wherever the grazing is good. 



The scenery through which we passed was most 

 beautiful. The valleys are level, and the mountains 

 rise abruptly from the level and protect the lowland 

 from the winds. We had some trouble with iour 

 drosky, the tyre of one of the wheels coming off 

 repeatedly, and the lo miles took some considerable 

 time to traverse. We completed the stage at last, 

 however, and started on the next one to Ouska;m;, 

 a distance of 20 miles. The road was over level 

 land and travelling was sufficiently easy. We 

 stopped occasionally to do soffie shooting, baigging 

 some ducks among other game. At one spot we 



