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HO ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
Still the same unending labyrinth of dolphin-backed
dunes.
But what in all the world is that I see ? Far away to
the south, beyond the last of the dunes, there is a flash
of something blue, a lake ! What ? water in this burning,
scorched-up desert ? Impossible. It must be a mirage !
With winged steps I hastened down the dune-side and
hurried towards the blue expanse. On and on I hurried
until everything grew dark before my eyes. The men
behind must have thought me mad, or stricken with sun-
stroke. But before I heard the faint echo of the camel’s
bell I had reached the lake, I had drunk of its water, and
was sitting beside it resting. And what joy there was in
the caravan when the camels bent down their long necks
and began to " sloop " up the water in long greedy mouth-
fuls. We were so delighted that we could not help smiling
for pure joy.
The water had a slightly saltish taste, but was nevertheless
quite drinkable. It was no easy matter to get across
the long, narrow lake which lay between us and the Kara-
koshun. Chernoff, however, refused to give in until
he had discovered a suitable ford where the water was
only about three feet deep. Next day we crossed over.
The camels were so delighted with their bath that we could
hardly get them out of it. The opposite shore was un-
comfortably soft, just as though a gutta-percha sheet
were spread over a gigantic bowl of porridge ; we were
afraid we should go through and perish in it.
South of the lake we once more plunged into a labyrinth
of sand-dunes 30 to 35 feet high. The camels kept
casting longing and melancholy glances behind them,
wondering why we left so soon the pleasant water that
had saved our lives. The heat was stifling and the
sun shone straight in our faces. In the hottest part
of the day we used to dawdle along at the pace of a funeral
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