Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXII.—First Contact with the Tibetans
<< 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.
338 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
easily continue for three miles or so, but after that the glen
contracted into a ravine, which the river, churned into
foam, filled from side to side. At the spot where he had
turned back, the water was three to four feet deep. I saw
at once that it would be madness to continue, for at noon
the river would swell, and if we were then compelled to turn
back, we should meet the flood coming down from the
glaciers and should inevitably all be drowned.
Right about turn and all the way back again ! We must
just try the glen by which the tributar}^ descended from
another pass. But upon reaching the foot of this last we
had had quite enough for that day, for all this time the
storm was still raging. With the view of sparing the rear
caravan this extra and fruitless deviation, we built up
several mounds of stones by way of landmark.
Next morning I and the Lama spent two solid good hours
in climbing up to the top of the new pass, and then another
two hours waiting for the caravan. Imagination can
hardly conceive worse ground for travelling over. At every
step the animals sank deep into the mire, while rain and
hail vied with one another as to which should make the
ground still softer. We were now approaching regions
which gather the precipitation brought by the clouds from
the Indian Ocean. The immense altitudes, the horrible
weather, the steep slope and the abominable quagmires
—
all these things taken together were enough to effect the
ruin of any caravan.
But the southern slope was ten times worse. We had a
pilot on in advance, walking and leading his horse, in order
to test the ground. Turdu Bai hurried the camels faster
so as to prevent them from sinking in so deep. But it was
all of no use ; we had a repetition of the scene I have so
often described, the camels getting stuck fast in the mire,
screaming with pain, and having to be cut out of the string,
unloaded and left behind ; only this time, to make matters
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
