Through Unknown Tibet

by M. S. Wellby

We all moved off, once more reunited, down the nullah, soon after 9 o'clock, and as I went ahead to feel the way, I came to a spot where the nullah bifurcated. Here was actual running water, and at the point of separation was a hill on which grew fine green grass, and running half-way up it were two long lines of white stones, piled up in small heaps of three, showing me that at some time or other people must have been there.

Whilst reconnoitring the surrounding country from the top of the hill, I spotted in a valley about two miles away a single yak grazing. Seeing by the lay of the land that the caravan would have no difficulty in finding their way, on arrival at this spot I went off on a little stalk, taking Ruby with me. I had to cross a broad expanse of sand, where some antelopes had come to drink, before reaching the grass land where the yak was feeding. After cautiously crawling up to a crest from where I had calculated I should be quite near enough to the yak to shoot him, to my dismay there was no sign of the animal, but as I had not seen him make off, I concluded he must have moved on over some other crest, which now hid him from my view, during the time of my stalk when he was out of my sight. This proved to be the case, but it was only after crossing several crests that I at length found him fast asleep in a dip of the ground. Creeping up silently on tiptoe to within 100 yards, I woke him up rather harshly by placing a ·303 Jeffery bullet into a fatal part, and as he rose to learn the cause, I knocked him over with a second bullet, much to little Ruby's unbounded delight, who was soon scampering, snapping, and barking around the dying body, worrying as only terriers can. To cut the flesh off a dead yak is no slight undertaking, so I retraced my steps to get assistance from some of the men, but, on reaching the hill, there was no sign of them. I climbed to the top again, and found they had marched down the left branch of the nullah, so soon made tracks for them. After about a mile tramp, I came upon Mahomed Rahim and Shukr Ali asleep, and by their side a little black mule on the point of dying. Seeing they were doing no good, for the mule was too far gone, I sent them on to catch up the other men and bring back another mule, so that they could go to the dead yak and fetch in some meat for Malcolm and myself, and for themselves too, if they cared to eat it, in spite of it not having been hallaled. The death of another mule had now reduced us to fifteen.

The next day we still followed the same nullah, which became so soft and so full of water that we suddenly found ourselves bogged, and had no small trouble in extricating the animals and baggage out of such a mess on to the left bank, which was nearest to the catastrophe. Despite our misfortune, we could not help thinking that so much water must surely lead to a fresh-water lake, and to more favourable country. Very great, then, was our disappointment on climbing to the higher ground to find the land was absolutely barren and desolate, and what was more disheartening still, after going a few more miles, to learn that this water ran into a lake so salt that even the mules refused to drink it. All around was an arid, stony desert; not a blade of grass, no droppings nor roots wherewith to make a fire.

WE CAMP IN A WILDERNESS AND STEER FOR "HELMET HILL."

In the direction we intended going we could see a distant hill in the shape of a helmet with a spike in it, so we christened the curious eminence "Helmet Hill." As we moved off towards this landmark we agreed that few things are more detestable than having to march along the borders of a salt lake, where the surroundings are absolutely barren and lifeless; such land as this always seems to have a depressing effect on men and beasts, and one wonders why there are such places. At night we most luckily found some fresh water below the surface, in a sandy nullah, and in a small valley close by grew some boortsa. This food the animals generally preferred to grass, and there is no doubt that in this coarse kind of short heather there is a deal of moisture and sustaining power. As long as the mules could get plenty of boortsa, they wanted but little water.

Such adverse and inauspicious times as these made their mark on our men, who lost heart and became lazier. We consequently made a later start from the sandy nullah than we should have done, and on coming to the end of the lake, the sun being hot, we called a halt where we fancied we should get water by digging. In this expectation we were unfortunate, much to the annoyance of our muleteers, and to make them feel that the misfortune was brought about by themselves, we explained to them that had they only risen and marched earlier we should by this time have been some miles further on, and reached a place where water could be obtained.

At this waterless camp we had to shoot a big, grey mule, who could not possibly have done another march. He had carried a load for many days, and we felt his loss severely. This death reduced us to fourteen animals, including the one that was kept spare for carrying Shahzad Mir's plane-table.

We felt we must come to a standstill unless people came across our path before long. As the country was so barren and desolate, we wanted to cover as much ground as possible that same afternoon. I went on ahead, and so bare was the aspect that it looked as though we should never see any water or green again; everywhere the ground was incrustated with salt; all the nullahs were white with it, and to all appearance we were leaving bad for worse.