rONY BACES 190 



Jlonvalot and De' Deken, a party of eii^dit Europeans, 

 cf-rtainly the largest number ever asseniljled before at 

 Ta-tsien-lu. IViiice Henri informed me that lie and his 

 party had suffered severe hardships on theii* journev. 

 The cold in the high and previously unexplored passes 

 between Lob nor and Tengri nor was intense, and he 

 had lost two men from the combined effects of frost- 

 Ijites and the rarified condition of the atmosphere. He 

 had taken ten months in crossing from Kuldja, and, 

 together with the whole of his party, was much fatigued 

 by his long journey. The next day he showed me some 

 of the skins he had collected. Among them was one 

 of a magnificent yak. and several of bears and antelopes. 

 He had also the head of a white antelope with spiral 

 horns, probably a new species. He had camels as far 

 as Lob nor, from which place he despatched home, 

 by way of Kuldja, the collections already made. 



June 29. — Great excitement in the town to-day, as 

 the Tibetan king has his annual race meeting. These 

 races begin early in the morning, between five and six 

 o'clock, and last all day. The riders are boys, who wear 

 distinguishing colours as in more civilised countries. 

 The start is made on the hills above the town — perhaps 

 a thousand feet higher — and the boys and ponies race 

 down the steep descent and through the town as hard 

 as they can go. All the inhabitants of the city turn 



