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346 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
and would prefer to remain behind with Sirkin and Cherdon.
" No," he repHed, " even though it should cost him his
life, he would go with me." I rode my good old grey
horse, which was in the pink of condition. Shagdur rode
a cream-coloured animal, likewise in excellent condition ;
while the Lama contented himself with our little mule,
Yellow-ears, the one which had very nearly died, but was
now one of the best animals we had in the caravan. For
canine sentries we chose Malenki and Yolbars ; the other
dogs were kept tied up when we started, and poor Yol-
dash howled dismally at being left behind. Ordek went
with us to watch our animals the first night.
Now why did I expose myself to the perils which must
inevitably attend a forced ride to Lassa ? Ever since
Father Hue visited the Holy City—likewise in disguise
—
the Tibetans had jealously guarded their country against
European visitors. The American Rockhill had twice
unsuccessfully attempted to reach Lassa in the disguise
of a wandering Lama. Bonvalot and Prince Henry of
Orleans, Dutreuil de Rhins and Grenard, Littledale,
Bower and several others, not to speak of Prshevalsky
and Kozloff, had all attempted the same thing, but all
alike had been politely but firmly turned back. It was
part of my programme to explore geographically and map
as large a part of unknown Tibet as possible, and as in
pursuance of this object I should naturally penetrate
to no great distance from the Holy City, I felt the temp-
tation too strong to be resisted. What benefit did I hope
to derive from it ? Did I perhaps think that I might
be able to describe Lassa, and give photographs and a
plan of the city and its temples ? Not at all. Lassa is
in every respect far better known than any other city in
Central Asia, just because it has for so long been the object
of such keen curiosity on the part of Europeans. The
Russians have sent their Buriats and the English their
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