t when they find the pastures, which are their only
resource, reduced to ashes, no matter whether by malice or by mischance.
It is much the same thing to them as destroying their herds.

When we resumed our journey the broiled camel was not yet dead, but it
was altogether incapable of service; the three others were fain to yield
to circumstances, and to share among them the portion of baggage which
their unlucky travelling companion had hitherto borne. However, the
burdens of all of them had very materially diminished in weight since our
departure from Koukou-Noor; our sacks of meal had become little better
than sacks of emptiness; so that, after descending the Tant-La mountains
we had been compelled to put ourselves upon an allowance of two cups of
tsamba per man, per diem. Before our departure we had made a fair
calculation of our reasonable wants, _in prospectu_; but no such
calculation could cover the waste committed upon our provender by our two
cameleers; by the one through indifference and stupidity, by the other
through malice and knavery.

Fortunately we were now approaching a large Thibetian station, where we
should find the means of renewing our stores.

After following, for several days, a long series of valleys, where we
saw, from time to time, black tents and great herds of yaks, we at last
encamped beside a large Thibetian village. It stands on the banks of the
river Na-Ptchu, indicated on M. Andriveau-Goujon's map, by the Mongol
name of Khara-Oussou, both denominations equally signifying black waters.
The village of Na-Ptchu is the first Thibetian station of any importance
that you pass on this route to Lha-Ssa. The village consists of
mud-houses and a number of black tents. The inhabitants do not cultivate
the ground. Although they always live on the same spot, they are
shepherds like the nomadic tribes, and occupy themselves solely with the
breeding of cattle. We were informed that at some very remote period, a
king of Koukou-Noor made war upon the Thibetians, and having subjugated
them to a large extent, gave the district of Na-Ptchu to the soldiers
whom he had brought with him. Though these Tartars are now fused with
the Thibetians, one may still observe among the black tents, a certain
number of Mongol huts. This event may also serve to explain the origin
of a number of Mongol expressions which are used in the country, having
passed within the domain of the Thibetian idiom.