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FIRST CONTACT WITH THE TIBETANS. 335
and the unknown strangers whom they had seen riding
about shooting bears.
Tliis put an end to the peace and quietude of our camp
Ufe ; we were no longer alone amongst these desolate wastes
of Tibet. From this time onwards I had sentries or guards
posted every night, and all the animals were closely watched.
Our main concern now was to find, and the sooner the
better, a suitable place for the head-quarters camp, for
after consultation with Shagdur I had determined that
he and I and the Lama alone should undertake the ride
to Lassa, while Cherdon should remain behind to guard
the camp, though he would, of course, soon be joined by
Chernoff.
At this momentous camp we remained yet one day
longer, so that we might get all our Mongol equipment in
proper order, ready to hand in case of a hurried separation
from the caravan. At dusk we perceived the outlines of our
two pioneers returning from their reconnoitring trip. They
had found no insuperable obstacle to the south, and next
da}^ they led us up the tumultuous stream that we had
crossed several times already. . Upon reaching an expansion
of the glen, where there were a few blades of wretched grass,
we made our next camp. One of our eighteen camels had,
however, hard work to get thus far, and when next morning
came we could not induce him to go any farther. Accord-
ingly I resolved to leave him behind, trusting to the rear
caravan to pick him up. Turdu Bai assured me that he
would be in no danger from wolves, for they never touch
a camel that carries a pack-saddle. However, we set up,
on a little hill in the glen, a spar of the tent, and fastened to
the top of it a preserved-food tin with a strip of paper inside
it, on which were written the following words in Turkish :
" We have left a camel here ; if you don’t find him, follow
his trail till you do." As it happened, the rear caravan for
some reason or other made just here a detour, and conse-
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