A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



but they fortunately retired to rest before the frost, 

 which set in as soon as the sun set. From the 

 climate at this elevation, I fancy that these 

 mosquitoes must be of a similar breed to those 

 encountered in far northern Europe during the 

 summer. At this camp we were passed by the 

 Chagzot who was pushing on, and intended to reach 

 Hanle in one more march, instead of the two that 

 we intended to make. The following day H. and 

 I shot through the considerable stretch of brushwood 

 by the side of the river, as we marched along, and 

 made a varied bag, which included a large buzzard 

 (shot for its skin), bar-headed geese, pigeons, and 

 several hares, the three latter items being a very 

 welcome addition to our somewhat straitened com- 

 missariat. 



The next march took us to Hanle, or Hang Le, 

 as it is sometimes spelt, and the only noteworthy 

 incidents were our having to gallop, in one place, to 

 higher ground, to avoid the mosquitoes that stung 

 our hands and faces like stinging-nettles, and the 

 chasing of an unknown species of duck in the river, 

 which, however, escaped, though it did not take to 

 flight, owing to the fact that we had not our guns 

 with us at the moment, and found stones, though 

 propelled with considerable accuracy by H., an 

 inefficient substitute. 



Hanle consists of an imposing-looking monastery 

 of the usual semi-fortified type, perched on a lofty 

 spur above the river, with a small collection of 



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