THE MONGOLS OF TSAIDAM 1103 
as their flocks and herds have eaten up the pasturage in 
one place, they move away to another. 
Their aul was splendidly situated in the dry river-bed, 
so that they were able to water their animals of an evening 
from a well not more than four feet deep. They appeared 
to devote their attention chiefly to the breeding of horses. 
The entire neighbourhood echoed with their whinnyings 
and neighings. In the evening the mares were milked by 
the women ; for the staple drink of the Mongols is kumiss 
or fermented mare’s-milk. They also keep a large number 
of sheep and camels, and horned cattle. Agriculture is not 
pursued at all. 
All the time we stayed at Yikeh-tsohan-gol we were 
favoured with magnificent weather. The sky was bright 
and still, and at noon the temperature rose to 59° Fahr. 
(15° C); in fact it was so warm inside the tent that I 
preferred to sit in my shirt sleeves. On the other hand, 
the nights were every bit as cold as they were up in the 
mountains of Northern Tibet. The scenery was often 
very fine, especially when seen under the colouring of the 
setting sun. In the purple red glow of the sunset the 
tents, the tamarisks, the mountain backgrounds, especially 
the Tsohan-ula (Tsohan Mountains) on the south, stood out 
with the sharpness of silhouettes in the clear transparent 
atmosphere. In the evening, when the animals had to be 
attended to, the encampment presented a very busy scene. 
The women with their broad felt hats and long plaits of 
hair bustled about among the fat mares and bleating ewes ; 
whilst the men drove the flocks into the folds, assisted by 
a troop of black long-haired dogs, who barked tumult- 
uously, making a terrible din. Then my men would stop 
their day’s work, and gather round the fire for supper ; 
and whilst eating it Mirza read aloud to them out of the 
teskereh (chronicles) of Imam Jafer Sadik. The whole 
scene, with the fires gleaming through the half-open tents 
of the Mongols, was full of the soft beauty of peace, and 
I thoroughly appreciated it. After the almost unearthly 
silence of the mountain wilderness, we seemed to have 
returned to quite a summery clime; and then we were able 
