hat encumbered the path up the mountain. "With this
precaution," said he, "if the weather continues fine, you may, without
fear, depart on your journey." The proposition of the Dheba was eagerly
and gratefully adopted.

Whilst we waited until the long-haired oxen had made us a path, we
enjoyed at Lang-Ki-Tsoung, a few days of salutary and agreeable repose.
The Thibetians of this valley were more kindly and civilized than those
we had encountered since our departure from Lha-Ri. Every evening and
morning they furnished us abundantly with the appliances of cookery; they
brought us pheasants, venison, fresh butter, and a sort of small sweet
tubercle which they gather on the mountains. Prayer, walks, and some
games of chess, contributed to the delights of these days of leisure.
The chessmen which we used had been given to us by the Regent of Lha-Ssa;
the pieces were made of ivory, and represented various animals sculptured
with some delicacy. The Chinese, as is known, are passionately fond of
chess, but their game is very different from ours. The Tartars and the
Thibetians are likewise acquainted with chess; and singularly enough,
their chessboard is absolutely the same as our own; their pieces,
although differently formed, represent the same value as ours and follow
the same moves, and the rules of the game are precisely the same in every
respect. What is still more surprising, these people cry _chik_ when
they check a piece, and _mate_ when the game is at an end. These
expressions, which are neither Thibetian nor Mongol, are nevertheless
used by every one, yet no one can explain their origin and true
signification. The Thibetians and the Tartars were not a little
surprised, when we told them that, in our country, we said in the same
way, _check_ and _mate_.

It would be curious to unravel the archaeology of the game of chess, to
seek its origin and its progress amongst various nations, its
introduction into Upper Asia, with the same rules and the same technical
phrases that we have in Europe. This labour appertains, of right, to the
_Palamede, Revue francaise des echecs_. We have seen among the Tartars
first-rate players of chess; they play quickly, and with less study, it
seemed to us, than the Europeans apply, but their moves are not the less
correct.

After three days' rest, the Dheba of Lang-Ki-Tsoung having announced to
us that the long-haired oxen had sufficiently trampled down the mountain
paths, we d