no one was concealed up there. The ponies, however, indicated
the presence of men, and we had to move cautiously. In fact, rounding the
next hill, we discerned in the grassy valley below a number of black
tents, two hundred yaks, and about a thousand sheep. We kept well out of
sight behind the hill, and making a long detour, we at last descended in
an extensive valley, in which the river described a semicircle, washing
the southern hill ranges, where it was joined by a tributary coming from
the S.E. This tributary at first appeared to me larger than what I
afterwards recognised to be the main stream, so that I followed its
course for four miles (92 deg. 30' b.m.), till I found that it was taking me
in a more southerly direction than I wished, and had to retrace my steps
along a flattish plateau. Meeting two Tibetan women, I purchased, after
endless trouble, a fat sheep out of a flock they were driving before
them. These two females carried rope slings in their hands, and the
accuracy with which they could fling stones and hit the mark at very
great distances was really marvellous. For the sake of a few annas they
gave an exhibition of their skill, hitting any sheep you pointed at in
their flock, even at distances of thirty and forty yards. I tried to
obtain from these dangerous females a little information about the
country, but they professed absolute ignorance.

"We are menials," they said, "and we know nothing. We know each sheep in
our flock, and that is all, but our lord, of whom we are the slaves,
knows all. He knows where the rivers come from, and the ways to all
Gombas. He is a great king."

"And where does he live?" I inquired.

"There, two miles off, where that smoke rises to the sky."

The temptation was great to go and call on this "great king," who knew so
many things, all the more so as we might probably persuade him to sell us
provisions, which, as we had none too many, would be of great assistance
to us. Anyhow the visit would be interesting, and I decided to risk it.

[Illustration: A NATURAL CASTLE]

We steered towards the several columns of smoke that rose before us, and
eventually we approached a large camp of black tents. Our appearance
caused a good deal of commotion, and men and women rushed in and out of
their tents in great excitement.

"_Jogpas, jogpas!_" ("Brigands! brigands!") somebody in their camp
shouted, and in a moment their matchlocks were made ready, and the few
men who had rem