Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXIX.—Pulling for Life on the Chargut-tso
<< 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.
446 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
the shore, which hickily shallowed gently. The moment
the skiff touched the bottom, over she went. We jumped
out and drew her up on dry land, and then proceeded to
wring the water out of our clothes and packages ; and then,
having spread them out to dry on the shingle, we lay and
drowsed until our people came to look for us. And it was
high time they did, for we were ravenously hungry.
The camp was jubilant when they saw us, for they had
all given us up for lost. The Tibetans asked the Cossacks
where I had gone to, and the Cossacks, without winking,
swore that I had rowed to the south side of the Chargut-tso,
meaning to seize the iirst horse I could, and ride straight
to Lassa. The emissaries were in consternation. At once
they sent off patrols to ride round the lake ; but the patrols
came back and reported that they had not seen a soul. All
this while I was quietly smoking my pipe on the first island.
Then they sent off several bands, each of about a score of
men, to the south, in the direction of Lassa, but all by
different routes ; and these men had not come back when I
made my entry into the camp, where Hlajeh Tsering and
Yunduk Tsering gave me a most cordial and most effusive
welcome. They were not the least bit annoyed at the
anxiety and trouble I had caused them. We celebrated the
occasion by a grand spread in their tent, and soon the
images of their gods were but dimly seen through the
tobacco-smoke.
Mohammed Tokta was worse ; a camel had perished ;
and a Tibetan had died. We passed the corpse of the last
on our way to camp ; it was half devoured by vultures and
wolves.
On the 25th September we said adieu to the emissaries of
the Dalai Lama, after I had given them various presents,
such as revolvers and ammunition, knives, daggers, mariners’
compasses, and pieces of cloth. An escort of 22 men, under
the command of Yamdu Tsering and Tsering Dashi, were
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
