GURLA MANDHATA 117 



could be found over a very high pass called Dak Eo, 

 between great walls of rock. The name in local language 

 meant the ' Gate of Death.' If we could pass by this 

 ghat to the real plains of Tibet, we should save about ten 

 marches by not going round to the west of Gurla Man- 

 dhata by the usual trade route and past the Manasarowar 

 lake, which we wished to avoid. The weather was ex- 

 tremely fine. Bright sun nearly overhead, deep blue 

 sky, fleeced by a few white clouds ; and for some time 

 snow had not fallen on the heights. We pushed on rapidly, 

 and made about eighteen miles, coming to camp in an 

 open valley with a winding stream over sand and gravel, 

 edged by short grass where our animals might graze. We 

 had collected yak droppings and some roots of a small 

 prickly bush like a broom, and soon had fires burning. 

 There were overhanging rocks where the men had shelter 

 and made themselves comfortable. We were escorted 

 by two Hunias, soldiers so called, on ponies, who made 

 their own camp not far off. They were jolly, harmless 

 fellows, who gave us no trouble, and squatted on the 

 ground and played some game like dominoes, and munched 

 sattu (parched grain), which they carried in greasy-looking 

 bags. They were sent by the Zung-pun to watch our 

 movements, and report our whereabouts if we went where 

 we were likely to bring trouble. 



This march was an agreeable one. The sharp breeze 

 kept us cool enough, though the sun's rays were roasting. 

 We boiled the thermometer, and found our camp to be 

 about 16,000 feet. The hills were quite bare, rock and 

 stones ; but in the valleys you could see blades of grass 

 growing in clusters among the shingle, of a kind called 

 ' bhuk ' grass by the Bhotias {bhuk meaning hungry), 

 because all animals get hungry when they see it, and stop 

 to take a bite. Our ponies when we rode them used to 



