192 SIBERIA 



the snap-shot. This method was fairly successful, 

 but the axe occasionally insisted on falling forward, 

 distorting the picture and entirely spoiling the effect. 

 The temperature by this time had fallen to 12^ 

 degrees of frost, and it fell still lower after the sun 

 went down. 



I wrote my name on a stiff piece of paper, in 

 English and Russian, and deposited it under a pile 

 of stones. The rocks at the summit I found to con- 

 sist mainly of schist, felspar, and hornblende, and, 

 somewhat to my surprise, to be so brittle that I could 

 break pieces off them with my haiid quite easily. 



The Katunskie-Belki form a circle of peaks, of 

 which Belukha appears to be the highest. To the 

 north of Belukha there are three mountains, shaped 

 like huge fins and parallel with the glacier. They 

 are abruptly pointed at the summits and extend in 

 a direction from north to south. The peak which 

 I climbed had a position from east to west. These 

 ridges were far too attenuated at the top to serve 

 as a resting-place for the snow that fell upon them, 

 and which the winds sweeping across them from the 

 Akkem valley consistently carry away with them, 

 but a prominent peak just beyond them was better 

 adapted for the purpose, being dome -shaped. 



With the mountaineering instinct still unsatisfied 

 within me I commenced the descent of the peak, and, 

 after a three hours' climb, reached the snow pass. 

 I was too tired to walk down through the deep snow, 

 so ,1 decided to let myself slide, and, fortunately, 

 succeeded in doing so without accident. Being too 

 tired to walk down the glacier I lay down on my 

 back, and, steering myself with my ice-axe, again 

 glided gently to the bottom. Here I rejoined the 

 Kalmuck hunter, who was waiting for me, and re- 

 turned to the camp. I put on my snow^hoes to cross 

 the lake and the snow-field that lay between me and 



