214 OUR TRAVELLING YURTA. 



what with pitching, taking to pieces and packing, still 

 it was a far better shelter against storms and cold 

 than the ordinary tent. 



Its dimensions were these: diameter, ii feet; 

 height from the ground to the aperture in the roof, 

 9 feet ; the entrance was by an opening in the side, 

 3 feet square, through which we crept in and out ; 

 the sides and roof were covered with three layers of 

 felt, besides which we lined the sides with orongo 

 skins. 



The interior did not admit of much comfort : here 

 stood two boxes (containing journals, instruments, 

 &c.) besides felts for sleeping upon, whilst our arms 

 were ranged round the sides, and an iron grate stood in 

 the centre, in which argols were continually burning 

 during the day, to cook our food and afford us some 

 warmth. Towards evening, and particularly after 

 undressing for the night, sundry articles of apparel 

 might be seen suspended from the lattice woodwork 

 of the sides, and from the rafters supporting the 

 roof. 



Such was our home during the whole of our 

 arduous winter journey in Tibet. Two hours before 

 daybreak every morning we rose, lighted the argols, 

 and boiled our brick-tea, which, mixed with some 

 barley-meal, served for our breakfast ; sometimes for 

 a chanofe we baked either zatiiran ^ or wheaten cakes 

 in the hot argol ashes. As soon as the day dawned 



'^ ^ Zaiiiraii' is a favourite dish of the Cossacks of Trans-Baikalia 

 and the Amur country. It consist of brick-tea, into which flour baked 

 with butter and salt is added, the mess tasting much like soap. 



