Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/286

 were there the same extent or luxuriance of grass plains (prairies) here that there is in South America, where a few stray individuals have been known to multiply into enormous herds.

The Mongols said that soon after the devastation of Ordos, wild sheep also appeared in these steppes, but they have all been destroyed by wolves. A few camels still wander about, one of which we succeeded in capturing, but it was a young one.

The first spot where we saw the wild cattle was twenty miles west of the temple of Shara-tsu. Our supply of meat being exhausted, we determined to take advantage of so favourable an opportunity to replenish it. We were, however, unsuccessful at first, entirely owing to our misplaced confidence in the stupidity of cows; at length, on the third day, early in the morning, I crept up to two bulls which were fighting among the bushes, and brought them both down with a right and left shot from my short rifle.

This success was most welcome to us, as we were now able to dry a supply of meat for the road. We dragged the best part of the slain animals to our tent, and cut up the meat into thin slices to be dried in the sun. This bait attracted numbers of kites, and we were obliged, gun in hand, to mount guard over the suspended pieces of meat. Eagles (Haliætos Macei) also appeared and paid the penalty of their temerity by enriching our collections.

While the meat was drying we fished in a