48 RANDZEMBA : 



of the escort in their red blouses and forage caps, 

 mounted on camels, was very striking and pictu- 

 resque ; as for their fighting capacities, they were no 

 better than their fellows. But the most remarkable 

 personage of the party was a Tangutan named Rand- 

 zemba, on his way from Peking to Tibet. He was 

 a man of about forty, frank in manner and good- 

 natured, very talkative, willing to assist everyone, 

 and have a finger in everybody's pie. The loquacity 

 of our new friend, accompanied with his emphatic 

 gestures, suggested our bestowing upon him the sobri- 

 quet of the ' many-worded, Avvakum^ which very 

 soon passed through the caravan, and became 

 thenceforward the usual appellation of Randzemba. 

 His ruling passions were the chase and target firing ; 

 the latter amusement was indeed frequently indulged 

 in by the whole party. Almost every day, as soon as 

 we had arrived in camp, some would begin shooting 

 at a mark ; others would soon gather round, first as 

 mere spectators, then, desirous of trying their skill, 

 they would bring their guns, and in this way the 

 firing became general. Randzemba was the leading 

 spirit of all these parties. It was enough for him if 

 he heard the report of fire-arms ; no matter what he 

 might be doing at the time, even though asleep or 

 resting after a long march, the indefatigable Avva- 

 kum would rouse himself at once and proceed bare- 

 footed to the scene of action. Here he \vould 

 frequently advise how the target should be placed, 

 upon the size of the charge, how a broken gun might 

 be repaired, &c. Although he had the reputation of 



