VIOLENT YAKS 



241 



In most cases, preparatory to loading, the forelegs of 

 each beast were tied together, and when the load was on, 

 the animal was released. Generally the yaks were quite 

 docile, and when let loose walked quietly off to graze ; 

 but two of them, as soon as the rope round the forelegs 

 was untied, proceeded to buck, plunging round in a circle 

 in the most comic way, till the ropes gave and the 



lM%k^^ 



-4Sr) 



Champa Milkwoman, and Goats tied up for milking. 



loads were sent flying. Luckily, though three kiltas full 

 of stores were thrown off one yak's back, nothing was 

 broken. Two quieter animals were then brought up and 

 the loads put on. I found that thirteen yaks were more 

 than enough for my loads, all except the two with the 

 tents being very lightly laden. The difficulty consisted 

 in afifixino^ the loads to the animals' backs. If each 

 yakdan had weighed two maunds (164 lbs.), any yak 

 would have carried two with ease. But as the averao^e 



