167 



THE WILD GOAT. 



" THE unicorn, a very curious animal, is found in 

 the vicinity of this lake." The lake is Atdza, and 

 the author of this grave statement is the editor of 

 the Chinese Official Itinerary of the road between 

 Lhassa and Peking. M. Hue, the French missionary 

 who more than two hundred and fifty years ago 

 travelled from Peking to Lhassa and back, quotes 

 the Itinerary and writes as follows : 



" The unicorn, which has long been regarded as a fabulous 

 creature, really exists in Thibet. You find it frequently rep- 

 resented in sculptures and paintings of the Buddhic temples. 

 Even in China you often see it in the landscapes that ornament 

 the inns of the northern provinces. The inhabitants of Atdza 

 spoke of it without attaching to it any greater importance than 

 to the other species of antelope which abound in their moun- 

 tains. We have not been fortunate enough to see the unicorn 

 during our travels in Upper Asia." 



M. Hue then gives the following extract from 

 M. Klaproth's translation of the Itinerary of Lon- 



Hoa-Tchon : 



" The unicorn of Thibet is called in the language of this 

 country serou, in Mongol kere, and in Chinese ton-kio-cheou, 

 which means the one-horned animal, or Ido-touan^ the straight 



