672 
THROUGH ASIA 
ran down it in a bed eroded out of thick deposits of 
conglomerate. A short distance up, the glen was joined 
on the right by a little side-glen called Yamen-sara (the 
Paltry House). ^ 
On the afternoon of July 14th the atmosphere suddenly 
darkened in the higher regions of the mountains above 
us. It began to thunder and lighten, and the west wind 
drove the big dark clouds before it like sheep down the 
glen ; and we were soon journeying through a pelting rain, 
which was both raw and cold. We put on our furs, and 
pushed on despite the rain. The path grew steeper and 
steeper the nearer we approached to the aul of Ullug-art. 
We could see it ahead of us, crowning a lofty conglomerate 
terrace high up on the right-hand side, and commanding 
an extensive bird’s-eye view of the glen. The brook, now 
greatly swollen after the rain, raced down the glen, tinklino- 
a metallic song. In the afternoon it came on to snow fasp 
and the ground was soon covered. The big feathery 
flakes drifted softly, softly down, like a flock of birds 
hovering on wing before settling ; and great sullen clouds, 
heavy with snow, brooded over the mountains and the 
glen. I could easily have imagined it was the depth of 
winter, not the middle of July, the warmest month of the 
year. It was the general opinion of the Kirghiz that after 
this snowfall the pass would be impassable for three days, 
and if the storm continued it would possibly be closed 
altogether for that year. For it was no unusual thing 
for horses to be lost on the Ullug-art pass even in fine 
weather. 
There was nothing for it, therefore, but to wait patiently 
until the weather improved ; and fortunately we were well 
situated for waiting. The aul contained two first-class uy 
(tents), one occupied by Kipchak Kirghiz, the other by 
Naiman Kirghiz. There was plenty of pasture close by 
for our horses ; and we bought a sheep from our hosts 
I he people, as well as the occupiers of another aul, lying 
still higher up the glen, only spend the summers in these 
elevated regions. In the winter they go down to the 
plains at the entrance of the glen. 
