692 
THROUGH ASIA 
also three- egged races. The Kanjutis gave us a sword- 
dance, with mimic fights, and combats with the naked 
sword, a spectacle which put me in mind of similar 
games practised by the Chinese. At intervals the 
h.nghsh_ offered various refreshments, amongst the bever- 
ages being punch. 
Son e three hundred horsemen assembled on a piece of 
evel ground at Kizil-rabat near by. The course was a 
the ^ Cossacks, being matched against 
the Indian cavalrymen, easily beat them, with a .mod 
two minutes to spare. But Her Majesty’s soldiers had 
their revenge m the next event, lemon-slicing; althoucrh 
potatoes perforce did duty instead of lemons The next 
him.se If. He carried off two out of the three rings, and 
proved to be the victor. 
Then came a comic interlude, namely, races between 
camels and yaks. The camels, unaccustomed to the 
In d! ^ screaming 
D U O S nr amongst the spectators, creating a mild 
1 , f on the contrary took matters with 
110^10^^ '' P^^Gdity; the spirit of emulation could 
not be driven into them by any provocation. Two re- 
mamed stock -stil^ notwithstanding that the cudgels of 
the Pl'^yfd a lively tune upon their ribs. One 
TrecLn "^^^^hed off in the opposite 
. Some progressed sideways at a joo--trot Onlv 
two went straight down the conrsl „alkin| “th iheh 
accustomed grave philosophic calm. 
The last event was not pleasant to watch, and must 
bands of Kirghiz horsemen, twenty in each, took up 
positions facing one another at 250 paces apart At a 
pre-arranged signal they dashed towards each other at 
ul gallop. Some few came through the shock unmoved • 
but the greater part went headlong to the ground, men 
confi,sio''^''%‘° another in indescribable 
n. Yet strange to say, only one horse suffered 
