our clothes on the yaks, and travelled along for the rest
of the afternoon bare-footed and with nothing on but a _doti_
(loin-cloth), in the style adopted by fakirs.

In an arc of a circle from 120 deg. to 180 deg. (b.m.) we noticed very low hills,
and from 160 deg. to 220 deg., some thirty or forty miles off, could be seen much
more clearly now the high range we had observed before. The sun was
extremely hot, the ground marshy, the air being thick with huge and very
troublesome mosquitoes. We were quickly covered from head to foot with
bites, and the irritation caused by them was intense. Halting on the
right bank of a large stream at 15,600 feet, we named this spot Mosquito
Camp. At sunset the number of mosquitoes around us was such as to drive
us nearly mad, but fortunately, the moment the sun disappeared, the
thermometer fell to 33 deg., and we had a peaceful night.

In the evening we saw a number of horsemen riding full speed on a course
about one mile south of ours, but converging to the same direction. No
doubt they were sent to keep the authorities ahead well informed of our
movements.

CHAPTER LXVIII

Washing-day--A long march--_Kiang_ and antelope--Benighted--The
purchase of a goat--Ramifications of the Brahmaputra--A
detour--Through a swamp--Mansing again lost and found.

THE next was for us a great washing-day. The water of the stream was so
pleasant and clear that we could not resist the temptation of having a
regular cleaning up, washing first our clothing and spreading it to dry
in the sun, and then cleansing our faces and bodies thoroughly with soap,
a luxury unknown to us for ever so long.

While I was drying myself in the sun--owing to the want of towels--I
registered at 211 deg. (b.m.) a very high snowy peak, and a lower one at 213 deg.
30' forming part of the chain before us. There were mountains on every
side of the plain we were traversing; and another very elevated peak, of
which I had taken bearings on a previous occasion, was at 20 deg. (b.m.). A
break occurred in the hill range to our North-east, showing a narrow
valley, beyond which were high snowy mountains. We made a very long march
along the grassy plain, going to 147 deg. (b.m.), and encamped on the bank of
the Brahmaputra, here already a wide, deep and very rapid stream. We had
passed hundreds of _kiang_ and antelopes, and shortly before sunset I
took a walk to the hills to try and bring some fresh meat to cam