364 
Tuesday, loth October. 
We directed our course to the N. W. at half past 
eight in the morning. After having traversed a rivulet 
not far from the town, we followed the plain until 
eleven o'clock; we then began to ascend some hills s 
and about half past twelve met with a small hamlet. 
My guide halted at a quarter before three o'clock at 
another hamlet called Osmankoi, and lodged me in an 
obscure stable. Being irritated against him on account 
of the short distance we had come this day, and also of 
the bad lodging he had given me whilst the other Tar. 
tars had good ones, I reprimanded him severely; and in 
my.passion I threatened to make his head fly from his 
shoulders with my sabre if he continued to conduct 
himself thus. The other Tartars collected round me, 
and calmed me, adding at the same time, that I was in 
the right, and I was immediately shown into a more 
suitable lodging. 
Wednesday, 14th October. 
The reprimand I had given to the guide was not 
useless. Intimidated no doubt at the decided tone in 
which I spoke to him, he ordered an elegant supper to 
be served up to me, and the next morning we were 
upon our journey before six o'clock. Our road lay at 
first towards the west-north- west between the moun- 
tains. We left Altountasch, a small village to the left, 
about half past seven. We might have arrived there a 
a day earlier, if the Tartars had not been so lazy. 
From thence we proceeded to the N.N. W. still among 
the mountains, and across a forest. We were obliged 
before noon to abandon one of our horses which was 
dying. An hour afterwards we descended a long hill, 
