UNPLEASANT SENSATION. 311 



tipped with white ; horns black and lyrate, two feet long, set 

 very erect and far forward on the forehead, and about a foot 

 apart at the tips, slightly curved forward, closely knotted in 

 front for two-thirds of their length from the base, and smooth 

 behind. The does, or what I took to be does, for I never shot 

 at them, appeared to be very similar in colour to the bucks, 

 but hornless, and without the black patch on the face. I 

 saw several herds of seemingly hornless antelopes whilst in 

 this glen, and regretted not having shot a specimen, which 

 I might easily have done, as I afterwards heard that it was 

 then a moot point whether the does were quite hornless, or 

 carried short thin horns like the female gazelle of India 

 (Gazella Bennettii). But as these antelopes have now so 

 often been shot by sportsmen in Tibet, this question has 

 doubtless been settled. A unicorn animal is said to be found 

 farther northward on these desert steppes, but I believe its 

 existence to be as fabulous as that of the equine creature 

 represented to the youthful imagination as fighting with the 

 lion for the crown. An antelope minus one of its horns may 

 possibly have given rise to the idea. It is also said that the 

 camel is found in a wild state farther north, within the terri- 

 tory of Khoten. These antelopes usually frequent localities 

 where the ground is more or less level or undulating, and are 

 never found much below 15,000 feet, though they often ascend 

 the sloping faces of the mountains to much greater heights, 

 and particularly after being scared. Like all Tibetan game, 

 their powers of sight and scent are extremely acute. Their 

 flesh is tender and juicy. 



During the first night or two up here, and especially 

 towards morning, I experienced the uncomfortable sensation 

 of being unable to sufficiently inflate the lungs, which may 

 be described as a constant inclination to heave a deep-drawn 

 sigh. This was not to be surprised at, considering our camp 

 was at an elevation of 17,000 feet, calculated with a boiling- 

 point thermometer I had brought with me. It gradually 



