1842.] to Shipke, in Chinese Tartary. 373 



advisable to use the theodolite in the presence of the inhabitants, knowing 

 their extreme jealousy ; he had proceeded a little way from the village 

 before he was perceived, when immediately the people dispatched a 

 couple of horsemen after him, and crowded round the tent, making 

 a great uproar. My brother had begun to return before the horsemen 

 overtook him; they told him they had come to bring him back, but 

 seemed in perfect good humour, laughing whilst they spoke ; they insisted 

 upon his going before them, and would not dismount when he bid them. 



About 9 o'clock, the Chinese Officers, of whom there are several 

 to regulate the affairs of the country, brought sixteen seers of flour, 

 which they requested us to receive as a present, and it was no unaccepta- 

 ble one, for our people had had but little food for the last three days. 

 In the forenoon, the principal Officer shewed us a long piece of parch- 

 ment, written in what we supposed the Chinese character, and gave us 

 to understand it was an express order from the Garpan of Garoo, under 

 whose authority the Debas are, prohibiting strangers from entering the 

 country ; he at the same time said, we had so many people with us, 

 (having nearly 100,) that he could not oppose our progress, but it would 

 cost him his head if he gave us the means of going on, so he would not 

 supply us with provisions, which was the most effectual mode he could 

 have adopted to stop us. 



During the time we were at Shipke it blew a complete hurricane, and 

 the aridity of the wind dried up every thing exposed to it ; the leaves of 

 our books were more bent than I ever remember to have seen them in 

 the hot winds, and no dew was observed. 



The lat. of Shipke by meridian altitudes of stars is 31° 48', and the 

 long. 78° 48', its extreme height is 10 3 527 feet, and the thermometer 

 ranged from 38° to 60°. 



The people are affable and good natured, and allowed us to handle 

 their pipes, knives, &c. ; they thronged round our tent from morning 

 till night, and we found it the most difficult thing to understand them 

 even with the aid of interpreters, for the Koonawur words we had 

 picked up, which were of the utmost use to us during our tour, were 

 not intelligible here. This evening the articles that had been so long 

 in the rear came up. 



14th October. — At sunrise, when the thermometer was 31°, and before 

 the inhabitants had risen, I set up the theodolite and took the bearings 



