1862.] Literary Intelligence, Sfc. 531 



tent or fire-wood near the top of the pass. When I awoke next 

 morning at two, I found myself covered with snow, as it had snowed 

 all night, hut I did not feel the cold in the slightest, being wrapped 

 in a suit of Canadian furs I had sent to me from England. I met 

 about twenty Tartars at the foot of the pass on the Thibet side. I 

 had made no secret of my intention of going from here forty or fifty 

 miles eastward to our district of Byause, then re-crossing the Byause 

 pass into Thibet and going eighty miles westward through Thibet to 

 the Niti pass. These Tartars had accordingly been sent to stop me, 

 so next day, I halted and shot four fat burral, and gave them one. 

 When they had eaten it, I sent for them, and after a good deal of 

 talking and tobacco smoking I had it all arranged to my satisfaction. 

 I could have forced them easily enough, but it was better policy to 

 manage the thing peaceably. At Byause, I received your last letter 

 containing a list of desiderata for the museum from Mr. Blyth. I 

 have had very little sporting since I received your note, but I have 

 managed to procure a few of the things mentioned in the list, and 

 will send them on my arrival at Almorah after the Bagesur fair in 

 January, and I will at the same time send your birds, and as many 

 more as I can procure between now and then. 



From Niti I crossed a very high and seldom used pass between 

 Niti and Budrinath. It is about 18,000 feet and being within reach 

 of the rainy season, there is much more snow and glacier than on the 

 passes leading into Thibet. We mistook our way and had to bivouac 

 on some rocks close to the top of the pass without food, water or 

 fire-wood, and where there was not room to lie down, on the face of 

 a sheer precipice. Here we had to remain squatted until 10 a. m. 

 next day when the sun made its appearance, as the rocks were too 

 cold to touch with our hands. The thermometer all night and until 

 10 a. M. next day remained at 10". I had only two loads with me. 

 I did not feel the cold at all, and slept all night in a sitting posture, 

 but all the men with me I am sorry to say suffered. Some were sick 

 all night, and three men had their feet frost-bitten more or less, only 

 one at all severely. This was on 1st November, which is very late . 

 for crossing a high glacier pass. No European had ever crossed the 

 pass before. 



If the Government allow Stewart and me to go, I will send you a 

 sketch of the plan by which I propose to reach Lhassa. We mav per- 



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