42 SORDyi T£J/J'UA'/S£S. 



six camels and loo lans (25/.) in money for a 

 Spencer breech-loading rifle. He certainly valued 

 the camels at 50 lans (12/. 10^.) a piece ; on the other 

 hand, the price I had asked for the gun was eleven 

 times more than I gave for it, so that the thing was as 

 broad as it was long. After receiving about 1 20 larts 

 (30/.) more for some of our other merchandise, we 

 were sufficiently independent to act with decision. I 

 told Sordji that I would certainly accompany the 

 Tangutans, and demanded a return of the things 

 taken, or payment for them in money. 



On the evening of June 13, the day before that 

 fixed for the departure of the caravan, Sordj'i came 

 to inform me that the prince had ordered the Tan- 

 gutans to remain two days longer in town. All this 

 time the lama never ceased urging us to remain, 

 assuring us of the prince's grief at our speedy depar- 

 ture, of his fondness for Russians, and of his liking 

 for their goods, especially stereoscopes, guns, cloth, 

 soap, candles, &c. counting them off on his fingers as 

 he repeated the words. He entreated us to give a 

 gun to the prince, and another to his eldest son, or 

 some other good article, even if it were Russian 

 clothes. In fact, nothing could exceed the shameless 

 behaviour of the prince and his sons in asking us to 

 make them presents. They were so importunate 

 at last that we were obliged to conceal some of our 

 things whenever we expected visitors. 



After persisting in my demands, I received 258 

 lans (62/. los.) from the prince for the articles he 

 had taken, which, added to the sum we already pos- 



