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56 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
poles hung about with streamers and antelopes’ skulls. We
landed and paid a visit to the peaceful sepulchre, and our
honest Mollah (priest) offered up a solemn prayer at the
shrine. "La illaha il Allah" (There is no God but God! )
rang out his deep voice with earnest conviction, the echo
being repeated afar off in the solemn silence of the poplar
woods.
During our absence, young Kader acted as watchman on
board the vessel, and when we got back he begged permission
to go alone to the shrine. But very soon afterwards we
saw him running back as though there were a score of
wolves at his heels. The young hero frankly explained
that he had been so terrified by the loneliness and uncan-
niness of the place that he had lost heart and had no desire
to go further.
On 22nd October we had a pleasant break in our
monotonous, but glorious, life on the river. A horse-
man appeared amongst the bushes on the bank, but no
sooner did he catch sight of us than, wheeling his horse
about, he disappeared again. Evidently he had been on
the watch for us, for after a while we saw a whole cavalcade
of horsemen gallop up, dismount, spread carpets on the
ground, and deposit upon them grapes, melons and bread.
It was a chieftain from the village of Avvat who adopted
this agreeable method of welcoming us. We invited him
on board, and then continued our drift, the attendant
cavalcade marching beside us along the bank.
Shortly afterwards, another band of horsemen appeared
in sight, dressed in gay-coloured festal khalats (coats of
honour), and once more we had to stop and partake of
their gifts of welcome. These were West Turkestan
merchants, living in Avvat, led by their principal bai.
I invited the last-named on board, and set Islam to work
to dispense hospitality—tea and so forth—around the
glowing fire on the after-deck.
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