We were too hungry and tired to care greatly for beautiful sights. All
we thought of was to find, as quick as possible, a suitable place where
we could rest our wearied bodies, either under the shelter of the higher
hills around the plateau or in one of the depressions in the ground. I
was anxious to push across the plateau and descend on the north-east
side to a lower altitude, where we might likely find fuel, but my men,
half starved and fagged, would go no farther. Their loads, now soaking
wet, were considerably heavier than under ordinary circumstances. We
were all panting on account of the thin air at that great height. No
sooner had we come to a partially sheltered spot between the larger lake
and the most eastern sheet of water of the group than my men collapsed
and said they were unable to proceed. I was concerned about them. They
refused to take cold food, believing it would cause their death. I could
not see how they could recover sufficient strength for the next day's
marching unless I kept them properly fed. By promising that they should
not die, I finally persuaded them to eat a little _satoo_ (flour) and
_ghur_ (sweet paste). Unluckily, no sooner had they eaten some of the
mixture, upon which they drank cold water, than nearly all were seized
with violent pains in their stomachs, of which they complained most of
the night.

Experience had taught these mountaineers that eating cold food at great
elevations was more dangerous than eating no food at all. I regretted my
ill-timed, if kindly meant, advice. One is apt to judge other people by
one's self. Personally I never found any different effects from hot or
cold food, plentiful or not, at high elevations, on the sea-level, or at
intermediate altitudes.

Soon after sunset the cold was intense. It was still snowing hard. Our
wet garments and blankets were beginning to freeze. I lighted a small
spirit-lamp, round which we all sat close together, making such a
shelter as we could with our frozen wraps. I even attempted to cook some
concentrated broth on the flame, but, owing to the high altitude, the
water took a long time to lose its chill, not to speak of the time it
took to boil. When it was just getting tepid the flame went out, and I
could not afford more spirits of wine to light the flame again. So the
cooking had to be abandoned, and as the night grew colder and colder, we
huddled together under our respective blankets in order to sleep. We had
made