Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XIV.—Exploring the Lakes of Tibet
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
EXPLORING THE LAKES OF TIBET. 197
hands and faces smart. We literally ran helter-skelter for
the nearest shelter.
We spent the next day in reconnoitring by boat. This
large stream also emptied itself into a salt lake ; and the
salt lake was joined by yet another broad, but short,
stream, which likewise came from a fresh-water lake.
During the course of the trip we surprised two or three
score wild-geese. As soon as they perceived us, they all
took wing except one. Kutchuk lay to his oars and we
soon got near to the laggard. Having no other weapon
except an oar, I flung it like a spear at the bird, and
managed to hit it, and a welcome change it made for supper.
I may say that, our cartridges being now at an end, we made
ourselves bows and arrows, and lived like Robinson Crusoe.
The last discovered lake whetted my appetite, and I
resolved to ride round it, taking with me a small lightly-
equipped caravan, consisting of Cherdon, Mollah Shah and
Kutchuk, together with a few horses and my faithful foot-
warmer-at-night—Yoldash. The rest of the men I ordered
to remain where they were, with all the camels and four
tired horses, for there happened to be good grazing just
there.
It was not altogether an easy matter to reach the north
side of the lake. Twice we had to have recourse to the skiff
to ferry us across, first the river and then the broad sound.
But after that all was easy. Alongside the northern shore
of the lake ran a secondary mountain-range. Yaks were
grazing on its hollow flanks, and inquisitive kulans advanced
quite close to us to look at our horses. Moreover, foxes,
hares and antelopes abounded, while the grass was better
than it had been anywhere before, so that I was almost
tempted to stay there awhile. A long way off in the south
we could see some magnificent mountains, covered with
glittering white snow-fields and crowned with vaporous
clouds. The air was milder than it had hitherto been ; but
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
