274 THE RETURN. 



had hitherto subsisted on their own provision; but all 

 this should have been correctly ascertained. I suspect 

 that Abdoolah, in his anxiety to prevent my prosecuting 

 my intended inroad into the Yarkand territory, rather 

 exaggerated our resources, or under-reckoned our wants 

 knowingly a very grave fault in our circumstances. 

 But we have the provisions, written and sent for, to hope 

 and expect. Kamal is a thoroughly trustworthy messen- 

 ger, and will be probably fallen in with at Bursey or 

 Moorgaby. 



The thermometer this morning at 7 A.M. was six 

 degrees below freezing in my tent. 



10th September. While yet dark, poor shivering Buddoo 

 came in to take out bullock-trunk and chair for the coolies, 

 now ready to start. Oh ! how cold the rush of external 

 air ! The tent again closed, I enjoyed a sort of sense of 

 comfort by comparison, and waited till the first appear- 

 ance of dawn ; then speedily got ready, and, muffled up, 

 moved off. All the streams, though rapid, were frozen 

 over thickly. I tramped on as fast as the rough shingle 

 and a pair of new ammunition-boots, of great strength 

 and corresponding hardness and stiffness, allowed me. A 

 gentle ascent of some eight miles, I think, had to be 

 surmounted ere we reached the actual pass of the Kara- 

 korum, and this up a valley or river-way. Having 

 gained partial warmth after two hours' walk, and my 

 boots chafing, I mounted, and took Sara before me. But, 

 though the sun was now illuming this valley, the frost 

 did not yield, and my moustache and beard were firmly 

 united in a mass of icicles from my congealing breath, so 

 that it was inconvenient (to use no stronger term) to open 

 my mouth, as it needed the parting or extraction of some 

 hairs to effect. With every contrivance to wrap them 

 up, and with two pair of woollen gloves one, certainly, 



