86 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



The Gonpa was in the middle of a wide flat 

 valley far above tree level, and near the foot of 

 Nun Kun, which was a gloriously bold and rugged 

 mountain. 



As soon as we arrived the monks came down to 

 see us. They wore long red robes and red caps that 

 they could turn down over their ears, made of rough 

 cloth. They talked in a language that not even 

 the shikaris could understand, and sat round and 

 laughed and held their red blankets up to keep off 

 the wind as they helped us to light a fire. They 

 took great interest in us and our preparations for 

 boiling a kettle for tea. Most of them were rather 

 old, rather dirty and not very handsome, but they 

 were all very friendly. Their cook was the youngest 

 of them, and he had a donkey that carried bags on 

 his back for taking supplies up and down the 

 hill. 



In the morning Ned and I went up to return the 

 Lamas 1 call. They took us inside the Gonpa and 

 then on to see their holy place, which had several 

 prayer-wheels outside. The Lamas made signs that 

 we might go inside if we took off our leather sandals. 

 It was dark and damp and the stone floor deadly 

 cold to our stockinged feet. Some of the gods were 

 rather pretty we thought, and they all had bowls of 

 water to drink, in front of them. The monks turned 

 the prayer-wheels as we went in and out, and I was 

 allowed to turn one, but stupidly began by turning 

 it the wrong way; so as much as I had turned had 

 to be quickly undone and then I made up for it 

 by turning a good deal more the proper way. That 



