GEOGRAPHICAL SURVETS AND EXPLORATIONS. 157 



by the Chiamo Golok robbers of nearly all bis possessions, including 

 tbe goods whicb bad been provided, as usual, to enable him to 

 traffic and pay bis way, but when, still refusing to turn back and 

 exploring furtber northwards, he was deserted and again robbed, 

 this time by one of his two companions, who left him and his faithful 



comrade L c practically paupers. He was then more than 1,000 



miles, as the crow flies, from British territory, friendless and 

 dependent on charity, yet he pressed on, keeping his face from home. 



Though for 2,000 miles he and L c literally begged their way, 



yet he continued his observations to the very end with regularity, 

 care, and skill, so that he rejoined the survey headquarters with all 

 his little notebooks and instruments intact. His work proved to be 

 of excellent quality and complete in every respect. Ordinarily 

 explorers pay their way through their goods, and when these are 

 expended, borrow money from friends or incur obligations which 



have to be made good. A k was absent full twice the time of 



any other explorer, but when asked for the usual contingent bill, 

 replied that he had paid nothing, and had no claim to prefer. Both 



A k and L c (who is the elder of the two) were quite 



incapacitated by the hardships and anxieties undergone from under- 

 taking any similar work in future. 



It should be mentioned that a small portion of A k's route 



was subsequently traversed by Mr. A. D. Carey, of the Bombay 

 Civil • Service, whose journey, though not that of a member 

 of the Indian Survey Department, may be briefly noticed here, 



especially as he bears testimony to the accuracy of A k's 



work. Mr. Carey started from Leh in August 1885, and, in company 

 with Mr. Balgleish, who acted as interpreter, proceeded to Kiria, 

 in the Taritn basin, through the uninhabited tract of Tibet lying 

 between the Pangong Lake and Polu. He then travelled to Khotan 

 and traversed a large portion of the great desert, first following the 

 Khotan river to Shah Tar, and then the course of the Tarim river 

 to Lake Lob. From thence he travelled southwards, ascending the 

 various huge ranges of mountains which here buttress the northern 

 face of the Tibetan highlands, till he reached a lonely point called 

 Mugzisolma, near the upper waters of the Yangtze-kiang, and south 

 of the Angirtakshia pass over the Kuen Lun range. He then turned 

 northwards through the Naichi valley, where good grazing and 

 plenty of firewood and water were obtained, and having abandoned 

 the intention of proceeding further south in the direction of Lhasa 



