i8 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



The native pack-saddle, or mullah, is the best; it is 

 clumsy to look at, but is the one the men are used 

 to, and is easily repaired or altered so as not to 

 press on a sore place. Spare horseshoes and a lot 

 of rope should always be taken. A very good 

 principle of the art of travelling is to let well alone 

 in other words, not to worry about trifles, wait till 

 things go wrong and then make a real row ; but don't 

 nag, it is the one thing natives can't stand, and is 

 sure to result in general unpleasantness. Native 

 ideas as to the management of ponies differ from 

 ours ; but never mind, let them have their own way, 

 then if anything goes wrong one has some ground 

 for complaint ; otherwise one is simply told that it 

 is the result of one's own orders an argument which 

 is unanswerable except by profanity. Also, if one can 

 only get at it, they generally have a reason for their 

 eccentricities. One example of this will suffice : After 

 a long march in Thibet I had camped at a place 

 where there was as usual very little grass. I there- 

 fore suggested that the ponies should be let loose at 

 once so as to make the most of what grazing there 

 was ; but no, this could not be done, it was not 

 dast^lr (the custom), they must be tied up for two or 

 three hours first. On asking the wherefore of this 

 proceeding, which had often struck me as curious, I 

 was told that if the ponies were let loose at once 

 they would lie down for the night after taking the 

 first edge off their hunger ; but that if rested first they 



