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of his officers, and maintained the strictest discipline and 
good order amongst the men under his command. The 
long dreary winter, during which the little garrison had 
been straitly shut up within the walls of their fort, like 
a band of Polar explorers compelled to winter in their 
ice-bound vessel, had not occasioned the least slackening 
of discipline, the least indifference or discontent amongst 
either officers or men. Nevertheless the immediate 
approach of spring, which was indicated by the increased 
RUSSIANS AND KIRGHIZ AT FORT PAMIR 
warmth of the sun’s rays, by the melting of the snows on the 
mountains, and of the ice on the lakes and rivers, seemed 
to re-awaken several dominant interests. It was a season 
when every day brought fresh opportunities for scientific 
observation. Already the birds had begun their summer 
migrations. Small flocks of ducks and geese of a great 
variety of species were on the wing from their winter- 
quarters in India to their summer haunts in Siberia. The 
Murghab was apparently one of their favourite resting- 
places, where alas ! several of them entered upon a rest 
