2б8 LOSS OF 'FAUST.' 



heat as much as possible we rose before daybreak ; 

 tea-drinking and loading the camels, however, took 

 up so much time that we never got away before four 

 or even five o'clock in the morning. We might have 

 lightened the fatigue considerably by night-march- 

 ing, but in that case we should have had to forego 

 the survey which formed so important a part of our 

 labours. The line on the accompanying map mark- 

 ing our route from Din-yuan-ing to Urga is barely 

 over a foot long, yet it was obtained at the cost of 

 forty-four marches, mostly accomplished in the burn- 

 ing midday heat of the desert. 



The commencement of our journey was unpropi- 

 tious, for on the sixth day after we left Din-yuan-ing, 

 we lost our faithful friend ' Faust/ and we ourselves 

 nearly perished in the sands. 



It was on the 31st July; луе had left Djaratai- 

 dabas and had taken the direction of the Khan-ula 

 mountains ; our guide having informed us that a 

 march of eighteen miles lay before us that day, but 

 that we should pass two wells about five miles 

 apart. 



Having accomplished that distance, we arrived at 

 the first, and after watering our animals, proceeded, 

 in the full expectation of finding the second, where 

 we intended to halt ; for though it was only seven in 

 the morning, the heat was overpowering. So confident 

 were we that the Cossacks proposed to throw away 

 the supply of water that we had taken in the casks, 

 in order not to burden our camels needlessly, but 

 fortunately I forbade their doing this. After nearly 



