PEAK-BAGGING IN THE ALTAI 193 



the camp, and travelled across as far as the moraine, 

 but being too tired to tie the skis on properly, I had 

 two awkward tumbles while descending the moraine. 

 I was thoroughly exhausted by this time and was 

 heartily glad when I got to the tents. 



I shall never forget dragging my weary limbs into 

 camp and sitting down by the fire. I had been away 

 for seventeen hours, two hours of which I had spent 

 on the summit of the peak, and had eaten only a few 

 raisins and a little chocolate which I had taken with 

 me, as, when we set out, I had not foreseen that by 

 going up the valley we would arrive so near the 

 mountains. The temptation to climb them had been 

 so great, however, that I had given way to it, and 

 had made a much longer journey than I had 

 originally intended. At dinner-time I was so tired 

 that it was necessary for my interpreter to wait upon 

 me, an office which he performed with great kind- 

 ness and willingness. 



One of the Kalmucks whom we had encountered 

 at the last Kalmuck hut was sitting at our fire when 

 I returned. My interpreter prepared supper, in- 

 cluding a very welcome cup of tea in the menu. The 

 Kalmuck handed me a piece of sugar to put into 

 my tea. After I had drunk three cups of tea without 

 stirring it to dissolve the sugar, I took a fourth 

 one and was surprised to find that the most energetic 

 stirring failed to reduce the dimensions of that 

 miraculous piece. I took in in my mouth, to discover, 

 amid the laughter of the Kalmuck who had given it 

 to me, my two hunters, and the interpreter, that what 

 I had taken for sugar was a small piece of marble, 

 and that the Kalmuck had scored upon me in a very 

 decided manner, proving himself a humorist. 



As the tent had been taken down we all slept 

 that night in the open. The exposed situation, and 

 the fact that the tent only weighed 12 lbs., made it 



13 



