Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - IX.—In the Heart of the Desert-Ocean
<< 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.
no ADVENTURES IN TIBET. -^ ’
been were covered with snow. The camels looked splendid
with snowdrifts on their backs, snow-powder on their heads,
and long icicles hanging from their beards ; and when they
began to march, the snow crunched under their feet with
quite a wintry sound.
During the course of the day it cleared up for awhile,
and the sun peeped out, but even then the air was filled
with myriads of flashing ice-crystals, and our eyes were
blinded by the glittering reflection of the snow. The im-
mense dunes resembled mountain-ranges capped with per-
petual snow, and seen through the strong sunlight presented
a fascinating play of colour in pale-blue shades.
Next day the sand-dunes seemed to be higher than ever,
and it was hard work travelling amongst them. The
men’s spirits again began to sink. Would this desert never
come to an end ? Were they never to get out of this ever-
lasting sand ? But the next day brought a welcome change,
for when, from the top of a high dune, I swept the distant
horizon to the south with my telescope, I detected a number
of black points and lines standing out in sharp relief against
the snow. These could only mean one thing—dead forest.
Full of eager expectation we quickened our steps and soon
reached the place.
It was as I had expected : there had once been a forest
there, but it had been overwhelmed by the sand, and
nothing of it was left except a few dried-up tree-trunks.
Within an hour we had piles of wood stacked up beside the
camp. One tree, which was too big to be cut down, was set
fire to as it stood, and for a long time it blazed out like a
gigantic torch across the immense white pall of the desert.
A hollow poplar, which the men flung across my fire, made
quite an interesting spectacle. The flames darted along
inside it as through a tube ; it glowed, it crackled, it flit-
tered like rubies ; the ancient bark burst and writhed in
despair, as the sharp flames bit their wa}^ into its icy wood.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
