1б2 / RANK AS A DEMI-GOD. 



where he had met Russians. He was an excellent 

 fellow, and in return for our present to him sent us 

 a small yurta, which was afterwards of great service 

 to us in Tibet. But the greatest kindness he showed 

 us was in forbidding his subjects from entering our 

 tent except on special business ; so that for the first 

 and only time during the expedition we lived near 

 the natives without being disturbed by them. 



We have more than once alluded to the inconveni- 

 ence we suffered from the curiosity and impudence of 

 the inhabitants during the whole journey. They were 

 especially intrusive and tiresome on our departure 

 from Koko-nor, when the report spread that four 

 strangers had appeared, and that one of them was a 

 great saint of the West, on his way to Lhassa to see 

 the Dalai-Lama, the great saint of the East. My 

 promotion to the rank of demi-god might be attri- 

 buted to several causes : first, our safe journey 

 through Kan-su at a time when it was as full as it 

 could be of robbers ; secondly, our new-fashioned 

 guns which killed animals at unheard-of distances 

 and birds on the wing ; and, lastly, our mode of 

 preparing skins, and the secrecy observed as to the 

 objects of our journey : all these combined to induce 

 the belief among the people that we were mysterious 

 beings. Whenever a person of consequence, such as 

 a Gigen or the Tibetan envoy, paid us a visit, they 

 were more than ever convinced that I must be a 

 great kubilgmi or saint. This circumstance favoured 

 us to a certain extent, because my reputation for 

 sanctity lessened the difficulties of the road, and 



