TARTAR HOSPITALITY. 351 



to pick up the buck I had killed, and the Tartar having 

 shouldered him, we made the best of our way in the direction 

 our yaks had gone, overtaking them in time for a late break- 

 fast, to which I felt quite ready to do ample justice. 



In the afternoon, before we could get the tents pitched, we 

 were overtaken by a tremendous storm of thunder and hail. 

 The Major had not turned up, but fortunately he had found 

 shelter by paying a call on some Tartar ladies from Hanle 

 at their temporary country residence in a black yak's-hair 

 tent, where his urbanity towards these fair dames had also 

 obtained him hospitable entertainment, in the shape of a 

 draught of butter-milk. 



After working over this ground from morning to night for 

 two days, seeing only the ubiquitous kiang, a few female goa 

 with their young at foot, and a fine pair of horns attached to 

 the sun-dried remains of a ram which had probably died of 

 starvation in winter, we shifted camp towards the source of 

 the Hanl river, near the Chinese border. Several more goa 

 were seen on our way there ; but all being " hummel," I re- 

 frained from shooting at them lest the firing should disturb 

 better game, though I would fain have had some more venison 

 in camp, our Tartars' appetites being voracious. 



As this locality was considered a sure find for goa, the 

 Major and I started very early next morning in quest of them. 

 He took the right and I the left of a fairly wide valley, to- 

 wards the head of which there was a pass leading over from 

 the HanltS province, which is under the rule of the Maharajah 

 of Cashmere, into the Chinese-Tibetan territory of Chumurti, 

 we having previously arranged that the first of us to reach 

 the summit of the pass, some seven or eight miles distant, 

 should await the other's arrival there. 



The scenery of the upper part of this valley was perhaps of 

 a grander character than any we had as yet seen in Tibet. 

 This was owing to the mountains on both sides looking more 

 rugged, precipitous, and snow-clad than usual, and from there 



