venue. A proprietor, therefore, must
sooner or later dispense with the labourers who take half of the produce
as their recompense, and must himself put his hand to the plough.

Thus we see the Bashkirs are, properly speaking, no longer a purely
pastoral, nomadic people. The discovery of this fact caused me some
little disappointment, and in the hope of finding a tribe in a more
primitive condition I visited the Kirghiz of the Inner Horde, who occupy
the country to the southward, in the direction of the Caspian. Here for
the first time I saw the genuine Steppe in the full sense of the term--a
country level as the sea, with not a hillock or even a gentle
undulation to break the straight line of the horizon, and not a patch
of cultivation, a tree, a bush, or even a stone, to diversify the
monotonous expanse.

Traversing such a region is, I need scarcely say, very weary work--all
the more as there are no milestones or other landmarks to show the
progress you are making. Still, it is not so overwhelmingly wearisome
as might be supposed. In the morning you may watch the vast lakes,
with their rugged promontories and well-wooded banks, which the mirage
creates for your amusement. Then during the course of the day there are
always one or two trifling incidents which arouse you for a little from
your somnolence. Now you descry a couple of horsemen on the distant
horizon, and watch them as they approach; and when they come alongside
you may have a talk with them if you know the language or have an
interpreter; or you may amuse yourself with a little pantomime, if
articulate speech is impossible. Now you encounter a long train of
camels marching along with solemn, stately step, and speculate as to
the contents of the big packages with which they are laden. Now you
encounter the carcass of a horse that has fallen by the wayside, and
watch the dogs and the steppe eagles fighting over their prey; and if
you are murderously inclined you may take a shot with your revolver at
these great birds, for they are ignorantly brave, and will sometimes
allow you to approach within twenty or thirty yards. At last you
perceive--most pleasant sight of all--a group of haystack-shaped tents
in the distance; and you hurry on to enjoy the grateful shade, and
quench your thirst with "deep, deep draughts" of refreshing kumyss.

During my journey through the Kirghiz country I was accompanied by a
Russian gentleman, who had provided himself with a circul