he glacier, and
whizzed off as if he had been discharged from a cannon. He went down the
glacier with his legs extended, but as stiff and motionless as if they
had been made of marble. Arrived at the bottom, he turned over, and then
ran on, bounding and bellowing over the snow. All the animals, in turn,
afforded us the same spectacle, which was really full of interest. The
horses, for the most part, exhibited, before they started off, somewhat
more hesitation than the oxen; but it was easy to see that all of them
had been long accustomed to this kind of exercise.

The men, in their turn, embarked with no less intrepidity and success
than the animals, although in an altogether different manner. We seated
ourselves carefully on the edge of the glacier, we stuck our heels close
together on the ice, as firmly as possible, then using the handles of our
whips by way of helm, we sailed over these frozen waters with the
velocity of a locomotive. A sailor would have pronounced us to be going
at least twelve knots an hour. In our many travels, we had never before
experienced a mode of conveyance at once so commodious, so expeditious,
and, above all, so refreshing.

At the foot of the glacier, each caught his horse as soon as he could,
and we continued our journey in the ordinary style. After a somewhat
rapid descent, we left behind us the Mountain of Spirits, and entered a
valley, sprinkled here and there with patches of snow, that had withstood
the rays of the sun. We rode for a few minutes along the frozen banks of
a small river, and reached at length the station of Lha-Ri. We had, at
the gate of this town, as at Ghiamda, a military reception. The Dheba of
the place came to offer us his services, and we proceeded to occupy the
lodging that had been prepared for us, in a Chinese pagoda, called
Kouang-Ti-Miao, {251} which means the temple of the god of war. From
Lha-Ssa to Lha-Ri, they reckon 1,010 lis (101 leagues); we had been
fifteen days travelling the distance.

As soon as we were installed in our residence, it was agreed unanimously,
among Ly-Kouo-Ngan, the Lama Dsiamdchang, and ourselves, that we should
stop one day at Lha-Ri. Although the oulah was all ready, we considered
it better to make a brief halt, in order to reinstate, by a day's repose,
the strength we should require for climbing another formidable mountain,
that lay in our way.

The large village of Lha-Ri is built in a gorge, surrounded by barre