RECORDS OF THE JOURNEY
on a mountain, and halfway up the mountain opposite our camp a flock of over 6o was visible. The storm is howling and threatens to blow down our tents and will probably prevent the old man from going shooting to-day. I have searched in vain for the gentle slopes, up which it is supposed to he possible to ride, and am afraid that I shall be forced to abstain from shooting here.
To-day we had another tiring and fruitless day. We rode off at 6 a.m. and made a care- May 21st. ful reconnaissance of the mountains on both banks of the Aghias for ten miles east of our Camp at camp. Although Numgan studied every nook and cranny in the mountains and I examined Onu-su. them through my glasses, we failed to see a single ibex. I regretted this all the more, as the mountains east of the Onu-su are not so steep as those we have seen hitherto and a good part of their lower slopes can be traversed on horseback. On getting back we had a hurried meal. Izmail gave us a pleasant surprise and treated us for the first time to shashlik, a welcome change from the soup we had had daily for weeks, if not months. Having changed horses, we set off for the mountain opposite the camp on the other side of the river. With my glasses I could see yesterday's flock of ibexes grazing about halfway up the mountain. We rode as far up the slope as possible and then left the horses at a heap of stones and began to climb. After an hour and a half's stiff work we reached a crest, whence a good shot could be obtained at the place where the animals had been seen grazing. Not one of them was to be seen. In a heavy hailstorm, brought on by a fresh storm, we reached another crest after a breakneck climb. The aneroid indicated a height of 3570 metres. From this point the glasses showed us the goats going slowly higher up the almost perpendicular wall of rock towards the top of the mountain. It was impossible to take aim at them and further pursuit was useless.
When we reached the river on our way back, the water had risen very much. It foamed and roared like a cataract. Numgan's horse tottered and was almost bowled over, which would have meant almost certain death for the old fellow and his mount. Only by guiding the horse almost straight against the current and crossing the river at an acute angle was it possible to keep the horse on its feet and get across with your legs immersed in the water up to your knees. Luckily it was not far to the camp, where we changed our clothes and warmed ourselves with hot tea. During our absence Kalpin, who had disappeared three days ago, had returned to everybody's joy. Our joy was not longlived, however, for no sooner had he been fed than he disappeared again. The only explanation I can think of is that he has been seized by a passion for hunting and probably feeds on the rodents, of whom there are thousands on the mountain slopes.
IIIFカラー高解像度
