228 THROUGH ASIA 
But despite the warmer climate and the rest I granted 
myself, the inflammatory symptoms rather increased than 
got better ; so that at the end of a couple more days, 1 
decided it would be wiser to go back to Bulun-kul, where 
I had left the half of my baggage, with six horses, in 
charge of two men. When I set out from the aul I was 
followed by the sincere sympathies of all its inhabitants ; 
nay, even some of the Chinese soldiers came to f P^^ss 
their sorrow at my ill-fortune. As the caravan filed off, 
they all stood silently by, as though assisting at a funeral. 
And this melancholy impression was still further deepen^, 
when at the end of about an hour we were overtaken by 
a band of soldiers, who had been prevented by their 
military duties from coming to see me off. They now 
wished me bon voyage, and escorted me on my way tor 
about half-an-hour, singing songs in my honour, but 
sono-s of such a doleful character that really began to 
fancy the caravan was a funeral procession, and that the 
sino-ers were the hired mourners and I myself the corpse. 
And in truth it was a melancholy journey that which 
we began on the morning of the 25th April. I had taken 
stroncr doses of salicylic acid and morphia, and felt both 
deaf "’and brain-sick. My left eye was covered with a 
bandacre totally impervious to the light ; whilst my rig t 
eye, which was well, but extremely sensitive to the fight 
was protected by glasses doubly darkened. In spite of 
my condition, by dint of riding ten hours at a stretch we 
accomplished the entire distance to Bulun-kul m one day. 
Upon reaching Little Kara-kul we were assailed by a 
snowstorm, which continued to increase in violence as the 
day wore on, so that by the time we arrived at Bulun-kul 
it was not only quite dark, but the country was again 
clothed in its winter vestments. Without a moments 
delay I despatched a messenger to Jan Darin, who had 
now returned from Kashgar, begging him to oblige me 
with a decent yurt. The answer brought back was that 
Tan Darin was drunk, and could not be disturbed. I had, 
therefore, to make the best I could of the miserable jurt 
of which I have before spoken, although the snow swirled 
