WITH THE MONGOLS—A HOSPITABLE OLD LADY—ON THE WAY TO TANKAR—A POISONOUS STREAM—BANA TENTS—I ABSTRACT AN INSCRIBED BONE—OUR COLDEST NIGHT—A WONDERFUL PLACE—KANJUR RUNGYUM.

It was arranged that on the following morning we should move on a two days' journey to Lobsan's tents, which were situated on the banks of the River Bayan Gol, where plans could be better formed for completing this last portion of our journey. We almost wished we had gone off to Barong, which lay a few miles south of us. The Tibetan merchants had told us that we should be able to hire camels there; but then, again, the Mongols assured us that although we might be able to hire camels, it was quite certain that the owners would not venture across the Bana country with so small a party, and that we should have to await the arrival of the Tibetan merchants, which would cause two or three weeks' delay, and perhaps more, but that if we did not mind that we had better go to Barong. We decided that our best plan was to stick to our Mongols, who thus far had treated us so well, and who, we felt sure, would eventually agree to take us to China.

Our first day lay through a land of thick hermok bushes and grass, including a sandy plain, the whole party being mounted on stout ponies. Towards evening we halted by a spring in a small grassy plain. Here we found other Mongols, and it was evident that this spot, called Ootoo, was a regular camping ground.

With the help of a bright moon, we found them before daybreak loading up the ponies again, and as we continued our journey through the bush and grass country we saw several hares, pheasants, and goa. After a couple of miles we saw Mongol tents for the first time. These tents, which were made of sticks and thick felt, were of circular shape, with conical top, and had a small opening for a door. Scattered around them were numbers of sheep, goats, cows, ponies, and big black long-haired dogs, whose bark and attitude, apparently dangerous, were in reality harmless, for they were generally put to rout by the little terrier Ruby.

After a five hours' ride we halted to graze the ponies on the banks of a stream called Shishi, which flowed in a southerly direction and at this time of the year was easily fordable. We were soon on the move again, for the Mongols were anxious to reach their tents before nightfall. As we wended our way through the hermok bushes, Malcolm and I loitered behind to devour some of their berries. So busily engaged were we that we forgot how far behind we were, and on resuming our ride found we had wandered off the track, and could see no signs of our little party.

Separating, and keeping one another in view, we rode on in what we considered would be the proper direction, riding up every piece of high ground we came to for a better view. From one of these eminences Malcolm saw some ponies grazing in the distance. On our reaching them, they proved to be ponies belonging to some Mongols living on the banks of a river. We found there many groups of tents, from whose owners we learnt that Lobsan lived further up the river, so knew we had reached the banks of the Bayan Gol. After passing several other tents with the usual amount of cattle, we discovered just after sunset that Lobsan's tents were situated on the opposite bank. We found the river some three feet deep and twenty yards across, and though the water was fairly clear, and flowing fast, it was safer to cross the river as rapidly as possible, for otherwise one was liable to sink into the soft mud that lines the bottom in these parts.

Our little camp was already pitched a couple of hundred yards from Lobsan's tent, and he, good-hearted fellow, was soon by our side with a supply of good tea and milk, of which attention and refreshment we showed our approval by holding up our thumbs and repeating the word "Hoch! Hoch!"

We broke the Sabbath by buying more tsampa and mar. It was curious to see these people examining each rupee, those with a crown on the Queen's head being separated from those without one, the crownless ones being far more appreciated, for some reason or other we could not discover.

We spent three days by Lobsan's tents, and the better we became acquainted with these people the more we were able to testify to their kindly dispositions. Throughout the stay our camp formed a general place of gathering from morn till eve, all coming to sight-see, barter, and gossip, so that we were seldom left to ourselves. Their talk was principally about "gourmo," which means rupees. They formed picturesque groups with their beaming faces. All the men wore black knee-boots, and thick sheepskin cloaks tucked in at the waist to adjust them to a convenient length, so as to hang over their breeches of the same material. These cloaks are generally slipped half off on a warm day, leaving one arm and part of their body bare. A leather hat with a white fur rim, and a red or blue top with a red tassel, was kept in its place by means of a chin-strap. There were other hats of nondescript shape. Many of them smoked the long and small-bowled pipe.

Sometimes they would bring us some fresh article to buy, notably vermicelli or kua mien from China, and millet, called "turma" by Mongols and "churma" by Tibetans. They doubtless led a very happy life, and had but little to think about. Their wants, in the shape of mutton, milk, grain, and fruit, were provided with very little labour. Their ponies, camels, and fat-tailed sheep, both black, white, and brown, required but little looking after in this peaceful district. In accordance with the seasons, they move off with their flocks to the place where we first saw them, or to the good grazing on the banks of the Namoran Gol. Another home with stone walls is ready for them a few miles away, in the village of Kyrma.

One afternoon we accepted an invitation from Lobsan to tea in his family tent. We had to stoop to enter by the door, which was only four feet high, and made by inserting two stout beams in the ground, which supported a third one. The door was closed by letting down a thick piece of felt.

In the middle of the tent we found a large shallow saucepan, which was held up about a foot from the ground by three iron legs, underneath which was the fire to warm the tea, and directly above this was a hole in the conical top of the tent, to let out the smoke. The tent was about twelve feet in diameter, and the custom is to sit round the tea, which is brewed for the whole circle. We were soon seated with the rest of the family, and one old lady, as mistress of the ceremony, stirred up the boiling tea, and ladled it out into small bowls for each of us in turn. Together with our tea was also served a quantity of tsampa and ground cheese. During this sociable meal others came in to participate in it, or perhaps more probably to have a closer inspection of ourselves, while others left to make room. We, too, were equally interested in scrutinizing the old and young of both sexes in their own home.

After we had drunk as much tea as we could, and more than was good for us, the old lady produced a large vessel of curds, a special luxury in honour of ourselves, and I regret to say that we could not do the justice to it that was expected from us. After this we were glad to get outside into the fresh air, for the tent had become very stuffy, and we both remarked how impossible it would be for the coldest blast to penetrate so snug a home.

Few of these Mongols possessed more than one wife, though, can a man afford it, there is nothing against his having two. Our friend Lobsan was of the latter class. A man is considered rich if he possesses a thousand sheep and from ten to fifteen ponies. A marriage amongst them is arranged in the following manner. The would-be husband sends a friend with a piece of white muslin called a "k'artag" to the father of the lady, who may either retain it or return it. Should the former be the case it shows that his suit is accepted, and the lover at once sends the father presents of money, wine, etc., and forthwith takes away his bride, and after much festivity she becomes his wife.

Upon the death of a Mongol, the body is laid out in the open plain for a few days, and a piece of cloth is placed inside the mouth. During this time birds and dogs enjoy an unrighteous repast upon the decaying flesh. When the feast is considered to be completed, friends of the dead body visit the corpse, and whatever bones are still remaining they smash up into small pieces and scatter to all quarters, so that every morsel is carried away, and nothing remains in the open plains. This accounted for our never finding any dead man's bones, though we did come across one or two skulls in good preservation. Tibetans have three different ways of disposing of their dead, the most usual being to place the corpse in a squatting position on a hilltop, and then push it over the edge, so that it finds its own last resting-place, and becomes food for the birds. Occasionally burning is resorted to, and very rarely, in the case of rich people, burial.

Throughout our stay with these people we always found them cheery, pleasant, and though naturally curious, still inoffensive. They could not quite grasp what I was up to when using a sextant in the middle of the day to take our latitude, but when they were told that I was only doing prayers, they withdrew.

On our third and last day on the banks of the Bayan Gol, all our arrangements had been completed. Sheep and other supplies had been bought for a good fortnight, and we had struck a bargain for our transport. Lobsan was to let us have five riding ponies and five baggage ponies, to take us as far as the town of Sining, in the province of Kansu, a few miles across the border. For this journey of 300 miles we were to pay him twenty rupees a pony, but as we had not sufficient money with us, for we had spent it nearly all, we were trusted by Lobsan to pay up the remainder at Sining. We believed that at that town we should come across some missionaries.

Our Mongols spent most of the last day praying, and as their priest had foretold that this was a propitious day to start on, and the one they had chosen was not, Lobsan came to us, saying that since such was the case they would like some of our things to load up and march a few hundred yards up the river, and come back again, so that they might be able to say they had started on a propitious day.

Early on the morning of the 1st of October we were ready to start, but the Mongols caused so many unaccountable delays, that it was 1 o'clock before we had actually moved off. The delay was caused chiefly by the Mongol lama, who came and prayed earnestly with the men who were to accompany us, and in order that fortune might favour their venture, incense was burnt and carried round the homes of the Mongols, and the ponies that were picked out for the journey. Our caravan consisted of Lobsan himself and three of his men, all mounted on ponies, and armed with two matchlocks and a spear of the extraordinary length of twenty-five feet. They, in addition to our ten ponies already mentioned, our flock of ten sheep, with the terrier Ruby, and our three mules, who marched unloaded, composed the party.

In spite of all the preparations and prayers that had been held, we moved off quite quietly, without any kind of demonstration, and, when once the loads had settled down, we covered ground at the rate of over three miles an hour, a great improvement on our accustomed pace. They were all stout ponies, and very fat, from the splendid grazing they enjoy, for no grain is allowed them.

As soon as we had reached a spot called Kanoo, where we were to halt for the night, the ponies were set free to graze, before being tied up close to us for the night without any covering. They were always let loose again with the first streak of daylight, so that they should not start on the march with empty stomachs. The Mongols always took care of their ponies, never losing an opportunity of relieving them of their loads and feeding them. They also used to change about: one day a pony would be ridden and the next he might be carrying a load.

The marches had to be regulated according to the water obtainable. On the third day, after going some six miles, we hit off the main road that runs from Barong to the Chinese border-town of Tankar, and whither we were bound. This track brought us to a clear-flowing rivulet, reminding us of a trout-stream at home.

Here we made a midday two hours' halt. When it was time to start again, we were astonished at the rapidity with which the Mongols reloaded their ponies. They were wonderfully quick and handy, very different from our original lot of Argoons from Leh. Their ponies were very tractable, although ridden with only a snaffle or merely a headstall; and without ever being shod, they stood the long marches we made well enough. They were always marched in one long string. One end of the rope was held in the hand of one of the mounted men, who led the way, and the other end passed through the headstall of each of the ponies in turn. This answers all right, but the animals can pick up no living as they march. As soon as we had travelled beyond the neighbourhood of the Bayan Gol, Lobsan and his men began to show their fears of the Bana tribes, for he was always begging us to march with our guns ready, nor to go ahead of, or loiter behind, the party. They themselves, during the greater part of the day, were praying aloud as they marched, relieving themselves sometimes by startling us with a loud, hearty song.

After leaving the stream, we came to the entrance of a narrow gorge, where Lobsan said we must keep our guns ready, for the Bana men hid behind rocks and appeared unexpectedly. His fears were increased by the sight of some croaking ravens. He maintained that the noise they were making was a bad omen, and to counteract the effect one of the old muzzle-loaders was placed on its stand and fired at the birds, but of course with no fatal results, for the croaking was redoubled, and we continued our ascent of the gorge. We then crossed a small plateau, and before entering another gorge we came to a stream, whose water they never drink, for it is considered a deadly poison to both man and beast. Although the water was quite clear, it tasted as though there was soda in it. On account of this poisonous stream, we had to make a ten hours' march before reaching any other water. Towards sunset we emerged into an open plain, and riding on a few miles we came to a spring and fruit bushes, evidently a haunt of bears, for one fine black fellow quickly made away towards the hills on our approach.

Some distance off in this plain of Noring Hol lay a salt lake, on whose further banks were the remains of two villages. These had been till lately Mongol homes, but the owners had fled in fear and deserted them on the approach of the Mohammedan rebels of Kansu, some of whom fled this way into Turkistan, after they had been defeated by the Chinese.

In this neighbourhood we saw for the first time the crests of hills covered with pine trees. Sometimes encampments are made in the valleys, and articles are made from the wood.

On the seventh day of our march we came to the spot, on the banks of the Tuling Gol, where lately there must have been a very considerable encampment. The posts to which the owners had tethered their animals still remained. Various articles lay scattered about, and the number of large fireplaces that had been built, testified to the numbers of the encampers. Here we learnt a small Chinese army had halted, in their pursuit of the Mohammedans fleeing into Turkistan.

Two more miles beyond this we came to a miserable village, Tuling, or Selling Gompa. This was quite the dirtiest and most dilapidated collection of houses that either of us had ever seen, or want to see again. All the inhabitants were either blind or lame or diseased in some shape or form, and, clad in filthy rags, they lay about basking in the sun and dirt. The big black dogs, blear-eyed and mangy, that crawled about, were well suited to the place. It was an asylum for all lepers, cripples, and other sufferers of these districts. It was close to this village that the French traveller, De Trouille de Rhins, had met an untimely end.

MONGOL CAMP: ONE OF OUR HALTS.