rst was from Gyantse to Ralung, over thirty
miles; the second over the Karo-La to Nagartse, a distance of nearly
thirty; the third from Nagartse to Pete-jong, eighteen miles; the fourth
from Pete-jong to Chaksam, thirty-two; and the fifth and last from
Chaksam to Lhassa, about forty-five. The work thus done by the mounted
infantry between Lhassa and Gyantse was considerable. A fairly hefty
sepoy, carrying rifle and accoutrements and a few mail bags, is no mean
weight to put on the back of a thirteen-hand pony, even for a short
distance, and it is surprising how well the ponies, some of them
ordinary country-breds from the plains of India, stood those long
marches. Keeping them shod was a considerable difficulty, for the
combination of damp weather and stony roads knocked the shoes off very
quickly, and the stock of the latter was limited.

Having done my work at Chaksam and Pete-jong, I returned to the former
place with the post, prepared to proceed to Lhassa the next day; but it
had been raining in torrents for some days past, and, though mail bags
and the like could be taken across the river in skin boats, there was no
chance of taking my pony and mules across till the flood subsided. After
three days it was found possible to take the animals over at Parte (the
crossing which the column subsequently used on the march down), ten
miles up the river, and the following day I was able to reach Lhassa
with the upward post.

I shall not easily forget that day. It has been made memorable to me by
the vagaries of a certain Bhutya pony ridden by an officer who was
accompanying me. To get one's kit and oneself over forty-five miles of
indifferent roadway in one day, especially when you have no change of
mount, involves early rising. We got up at four o'clock, after sleeping
in the domestic temple of a Tibetan farm-house on a sacred but not very
clean floor. We sent our kit on ahead, and also my syce, who was mounted
on a mule, in charge of part of the mounted infantry postmen. The
remainder of the latter accompanied our two selves a little later. My
companion had not ridden his pony for some time, and the latter,
disliking the process of being mounted, began by suddenly sidling away
when his master was only half on his back, with the result that his
master came off and tumbled to the ground, still keeping hold of the
reins. The pony, anxious to be free, danced a jig on his master's
stomach. Luckily, being of a hard-footed hill-