PONY RACES 199° 
Bonvalot and De’ Deken, a party of eight Europeans, 
certainly the largest number ever assembled before at 
Ta-tsien-lu. Prince Henri informed me that he and his 
party had suffered severe hardships on their journey. 
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-. 
bites 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, bétween 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. Ail the inhabitants of the city turn 
