CHAPTER XVIII. 
AN ATTEMPT TO CLIMB MUS-TAGH-ATA 
I N the course of a long exploring journey, the 
traveller’s plans are often upset by annoying diffi- 
culties and hindrances, causing him to deviate from the 
route he laid down beforehand, and compelling him to 
abandon objects which he had set his heart upon attaining. 
I encountered a reverse of this character in my attempt 
to scale Mus-tagh-ata. It was my desire, as it was also 
my intention, to climb to the summit of the mountain, 
examine its geological structure, its coat of ice-mail, and 
the gigantic glaciers which plough their slow way down 
its rugged sides. But alas ! Instead of carrying out this 
plan, and achieving the proud consciousness of standing- 
far above the heads of all peoples and princes in the 
world, and having five continents under my feet, with only 
a few Asiatic mountain-peaks above me, I was compelled to 
return, with my strength broken and my eyes bandaged, 
and seek a warmer climate. 
However, on the morning of 17th April I found a pictur- 
esque troop awaiting me when I stepped outside my yurt. 
It consisted of half-a-dozen weather-worn Kirghiz, en- 
veloped in sheepskins and carrying alpenstocks in their 
hands, with nine yaks, big, black, good-natured, phlegmatic 
creatures, and two sheep. Some of the yaks were loaded 
with the needful provisions, spades, a pickaxe, hatchets, 
ropes, furs, felts and felt carpets, the photographic ap- 
paratus, and other stores. The indispensable scientific 
instruments and field-glasses were carried by the Kirghiz 
in satchels. The remaining yaks bore saddles on their 
backs. As soon as we were mounted, and had taken 
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