248 BOTANIZING ON THE MOUNTAINS. 



house and botanical garden for the Faculty of 

 Medicine. It was situated within half an hour's 

 walk of Kounboum. Thither every year the grand 

 lamas and students of the medical section proceed 

 towards the close of summer, remaining generally 

 for about a fortnight, collecting medicinal plants on 

 the surrounding hills. 



For some days the strangers enjoyed the most 

 profound solitude. They were alone with a lama 

 left in charge of the Lamasery. But the desert 

 became, after a time, alive ; and towards the com- 

 mencement of September the lamas of the Faculty 

 of Medicine repaired to Tchogorton for the purpose 

 of botanizing. The disposable houses received all 

 they could contain, and the rest dwelt in tents, 

 sheltered by the great trees of the Lamasery. 

 Every morning, after having recited their prayers 

 in common, drunk their buttered tea, and eaten 

 their barley meal, all the students in medicine 

 tucked up their garments and went forth on the 

 mountains, under the guidance of one of their rJro- 

 fessors. Each was provided with a long iron- 

 pointed stick and a small pickaxe ; a leathern bag, 

 filled with meal, was suspended from the girdle, 

 and some carried at their backs great tea-kettles, 

 for the Faculty spent the entire day on the moun- 

 tain. Before sunset the troop would return, laden 

 with perfect faggots of branches and piles of plants 



