hiding-place and galloped away before us,
raising clouds of dust. From a hill 16,200 feet high, over which the
track crossed, we perceived a group of very high snowy peaks about eight
miles distant. Between them and us stood a range of hills cut by a
valley, along which flowed a river carrying a large volume of water.
This we followed, and crossed it at a suitable fording-place where the
stream was twenty-five yards across. The water reached up to our waists.
We found here another _mani_ wall with large inscriptions on stones. As
the wind was high and cutting, we used the wall as a shelter for the
night. We could see in the distance the snowy Himahlyan chain. Lower
hill ranges were not more than three miles from camp. The river we had
just crossed flowed into the Brahmaputra. We were at an elevation of
15,700 feet. We saw plainly at sunset a number of black tents before us.
We counted about sixty, and we calculated them to be two miles distant.
Near them were hundreds of black yaks.

At sunrise the next morning, much to our surprise, the tents and yaks
had vanished; nor, on marching in the direction where we had seen them
the previous night, were we able to find traces of them. It must have
been an effect of mirage. Some fourteen miles away, in a grassy plain at
the foot of the range extending from north-west to south-east, and with
lofty snowy peaks in a direction of 72 deg. (bearings magnetic), we came
upon a very large Tibetan encampment of over eighty black tents. We were
then at an elevation of 15,650 feet. The tents were pitched on the banks
of another tributary of the Brahmaputra, which, after describing a wide
curve in the plain, passed west of the encampment. To the north-west,
north, and north-east stood the chain of mountains which I had observed
all along. The elevation of its peaks became gradually lower and lower,
so much so that the name of "hill range" would be more appropriate to it
than that of "mountain chain," that is to say, if the elevation of the
plateau on which it stood were not taken into account. Behind it,
however, towered loftier peaks with snowy caps.

We needed food, and so made boldly for the encampment. Our approach
caused a commotion. Yaks and sheep were hastily driven away before us,
while men and women rushed in and out of their tents, apparently in a
state of great excitement. Eight or ten men reluctantly came forward,
and entreated us to go inside a large tent. They said they wishe