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158   Art of Travel.

of the steppes of Central Asia, in a way that no tent or combination of tents could pretend to effect. A jourt of from 20

Fig. S (relates to p. 157).

to 25, or even 30 feet in diameter, forms two camel-loads, or about half a ton in weight. One camel carries the felt, the other the wood-work. Fig. 9 shows the jourt half-covered ; and fig. 10 gives an enlarged view of a portion of its side. There are four separate parts in its structure:-I. The doorway, a solid piece of. ornamental carpentering, that takes to pieces instantly. 2. The sides, which consist of lengths of wood-work, that shut up on the principle of the contrivance known sometimes as " lazy-tongs," and sometimes as " easyback scissors : "they tie together and make a circle, beginning and ending with the doorway; a tape is wound round them, as shown in fig. 9, about one-third from their tops. 3. The roof-ribs. The bottom of each of these is tied to the sides of the jourt (A, fig. 10), and its top fits into a socket in-4, the roof ring, which is a hoop of wood strengthened by transverse bars.