A SERPENTINE RIVER—HUNGER—MARMOTS—A PLEASANT CAMPING.

As we loaded up the next morning everything was shrouded in a thick white mist, and the ground was white with frost. The going was still very heavy, and the stream, which took a winding course, had to be frequently crossed. It was about ten yards broad, a foot or more deep, swiftly flowing, and very cold.

As the mist lifted the day became warm, and the three mules sank deeper than ever in the sodden ground. In spite of all our efforts, we could only make seven miles' headway, but at the same time we had been steadily descending.

On the banks we found good grass and plenty of onions. I photographed our camp, now much reduced in size, and afterwards set out barefooted down the stream on a journey of exploration, and in the hopes of finding something to shoot.

After paddling on for a short distance I found another important looking stream join its forces with the one I was following. This stream was of equal volume, and flowed in from the north. It would have been impossible to travel in a northerly direction, for the country was very mountainous and barren, stretching eventually on to snow peaks. After a time, I climbed a hill from which I could see there was a third stream flowing into this one, coming from a south-westerly direction. As far as I could judge, the river after this flowed easterly between two ranges of hills. I thought that if we could only follow it we were sure to find game, and perhaps people. It struck me, too, that perhaps it was the Chu Ma, the very river we were after. Although I failed to find anything to shoot, I returned to camp with my information, which we dilated upon and argued over, so as to keep up the spirits of our men, and as rain again set in, it was satisfactory that we had something to fill all with expectation.

A white mist again shrouded us as we continued down the stream. Twice in the first five minutes we had to cross this icy cold water, so snake-like was the course the river took. The banks were too steep for the mules to have marched along them. It was a trying time for them, indeed, to be frequently crossing and recrossing the same stream, whose water came over our knees. All the mules, too, at different times collapsed in mid-stream, when the loads had to be carried ashore by us. At such a crisis as this we had no time to think of our little dog Ruby, who would always follow bravely after us, and was sometimes nearly washed away by the strong current. By the end of our march everybody was wet and cold, and the baggage was soaked. Luckily, the sun put in an appearance, and we were able to dry all our belongings. The immense number of onions that grew on the banks helped in no slight degree to feed the party, for we had run out of meat. Malcolm and I, therefore, set out in opposite directions to try and shoot something. Although we saw some antelope, neither of us had any success.

At this point where we had encamped, the stream took a southern course, apparently bending east again afterwards. We reckoned that we should cut off a corner by travelling east, and meeting the stream again later on. When we did get a chance of bettering our route, we seldom let it escape us. We marched over an undulating, sandy, grassy plain, a range of mountains a mile or so off running parallel on our left. Suddenly we struck another nullah, furnished with a stream equal in size to the one we had been following. At the same moment the rain, which had been threatening, poured without pity. We argued that it was better to continue the march than to try and camp under such conditions. We saw many tracks of kyang, which was all the more tantalizing to our desire for meat. The only animal we saw was a wolf.

At length we reached a corner where our original stream joined the one we were marching along, and we found we should have to cross this formidable body of water. We could see a few hundred yards off on the other bank a high-lying sandy spot to camp on, close to some green banks. To reach this goal was no easy matter. The three mules were getting very tired, so that two of them collapsed in the middle of the stream. The sand, too, on the further side was treacherous for a considerable distance.

By the time we had rescued our mules and carried our baggage to a place of safety, the sun was again kind enough to have another look at us. He was evidently displeased, for his presence was replaced by a heavy downpour, which continued for a couple of hours. Personally I lit my pipe, and soon fell asleep, till, at 3 o'clock, the sun again invited us to go forth to try and shoot some animal for food. We were soon off on the prowl, but all I saw was a white-headed vulture, a fox, and some sand grouse, and Malcolm was equally without success. I saw, however, that the stream meandered on sometimes between precipitous banks, increasing in volume, and with this news we fortified our men.

At sunset the weather looked angry, nor did it fall short of its foreboding; a strong east wind set in, and heavy rain fell throughout the night. We managed to keep ourselves fairly dry, and slept in spite of the storm that raged.

On waking at daybreak the wind was still blowing hard, but the rain had ceased—a real boisterous morning, when the sea waves would have rolled in with a mighty roar, as though to sweep away the very rocks. The river had swollen considerably and flowed strong and deep, as though on some errand of weighty importance. The water was stained to a dull reddish colour. It was out of the question for us to think of making an early march, for the ground resembled a quagmire. We went to inspect the nullah, to see whether it was possible to march along it; but further on the river ran flush with the precipitous sides on either hand, and soon disabused us of that idea.

About 2 o'clock we took a circuitous route over and round some hills, hitting off the river again lower down. Yet we still had to keep on the higher ground, crossing other troublesome nullahs and numerous hills, following generally its course. We had got to that stage of hunger when a little bird we saw became a victim to our guns. All at once a hare sprang up, but the indefatigable Ruby was after her, and thus did us out of a valuable supply. We struggled on with our loads on our backs, straggling one behind the other, instead of maintaining a compact little body as was our wont.

Still we were for ever on the look-out, when suddenly Esau, who was blessed with a splendid eyesight, spotted away in the grassy hills a moving black object, which we at once concluded must be a yak. While Malcolm went off to slay this meat for our suppers, followed by two of the men ready to bring in the food, I and the other two set about pitching camp.

All were instilled with fresh hope, and we collected a heap of roots to make a good fire to cook the meat over. But alas! we were all doomed to disappointment, for this moving object proved to be a black bear, which made off before Malcolm could even get near enough to fire at it. We could do nothing more than reason that the sight of a bear indicated that we must be nearer people. Besides, we had seen and shot little birds, and even the common house fly had paid us a visit. Each day, too, we had been gradually descending. With such arguments we believed that help was close at hand, and were buoyed up in hopes of it.

The next morning, the 17th August, was dull and gloomy; and the men were in the same state. They were probably feeling weak through want of meat, for the last three days they had lived on nothing but tea, while we had been regaled with Liebig and suchlike; still, in this we were most parsimonious, for we feared we might even get to worse straits. So careful were we that some of this was actually brought through China, and handed over to a missionary. As I marched on ahead I came to some sandy mounds, where I shot a very tiny hare, but in the grassy hills on our right hand I spotted a kyang, which Malcolm went after, but failed to get. Around and about were droppings both of yak and kyang, and we decided to camp here until we had shot something.

It was amusing, indeed, to see the four men making a square meal off the mite of a hare I had shot. Malcolm and I, leaving them to enjoy their repast and repose, set out in different directions in search of game, both breasting the steep range of hills which ran down to the river, and at the foot of which we had encamped. I carried a gun, a rifle, a knife, and some rope, and was lightly clad, so I was able to climb the highest peaks and spy into the most likely places. Yet I could find no game, though there were many tracks and many droppings.

I happened for a few moments to be taking shelter under a rock from a storm of sleet, when I saw, sitting up below me, some huge marmots. They were of an enormous size, as large as men. I could resist watching them no longer, for even a marmot is good food when one is hungry. On making my way to them some fine hares got up, and, thinking that the game in sight was better than the marmots out of sight down below, I killed a couple of them. This fusillade must have driven the monstrous marmots home, for they never showed themselves again. The holes down which they must have hidden were so large that I could have crawled down them myself. The two hares I strung together, and began to make my way homewards. On the way a third hare was added to my bag, and I rejoiced to think how glad the men would be when they saw me coming, laden with three fat hares, no light burden. Luckily, my way over the hills was all downhill, still I was very glad when our little camp came into sight, but was surprised that I could see nobody moving about, for I thought they would have been on the look-out, and would have been watching for my coming.

Good news was in store for me, and I soon learnt that Malcolm had been even more successful, for he had shot a kyang. Two of the men had gone off to bring in some of the meat, while the other two were making preparations for a big fire and a big feast. In order to give the men a chance of recovering themselves, we decided not to march the following day until 1 o'clock. Luckily the night turned out bright and clear, and we were able to take observations for latitude. Consequently, by the time I lay down for the night the hour was late. As I found myself falling asleep, I heard the mingled and indistinct murmuring of the men's voices, merry amidst their frying and their stewing. They must have presented a very different plight compared to their demeanour of the last few evenings. They had been changed from a sad and despondent crew into the happiest supper party in the world, only by means of a little wild donkey's flesh.

Now, of course, their religious scruples as to whether the animal had been hallaled or not, probably never entered their heads. Real hunger or thirst will make men do a great many things which nothing else on earth can. During all this time the three mules were gaining strength by the rest and the excellent pasture land.

We were up the next morning at 7 o'clock with a strong west wind blowing. We set about collecting onions for our breakfast, for one has no inclination to lie long in bed which is represented by mother earth. The morning was spent in feasting by the men, and in mapping by ourselves. We calculated we had just crossed the ninety-second degree of longitude, and found our latitude to be 35° 11'. We discovered that if we wished to follow the river any further, we should have to cross to the other bank, for it was impossible, with the precipitous hills, to march any longer along the right bank on which we were.

The river flowed thigh deep with a swift current, and was thirty yards broad. Nevertheless, by carefully choosing the easiest crossing, and by loading the three mules lightly, with only half the baggage at a time, we managed, by making the double journey, to get the mules, ourselves, and our baggage over without any mishap. This was rather a long business, but once all on the other bank, we had soon loaded up the three mules again, and continued the descent, still following the river, all in good spirits. Towards evening we halted close to where another stream from the north joined the river we were following, and knew it would be in store for us to cross the next morning. We were struck by the appearance of the splendid green grass that grew on the hillsides, and the whole country in general seemed to be improving for the better. It looked as though we had completely come to the end of bleak regions and salt lakes, and that each day, as we should continue our gradual descent, even a more pleasing country was in store for us.