572 
THROUGH ASIA 
and with one sweeping cut severed the arteries of the neck. 
The blood poured out in a thick reddish-brown stream, and 
was caught in a pail, where it almost immediately coagu- 
lated. It was still warm when we fell upon it with spoons 
and knife-blades. We tasted cautiously at first ; it was 
repulsive. A sickening odour rose from the pail. I man- 
aged to get down a teaspoonful of the blood ; but could 
not persuade myself to touch another drop. Even the 
men found it disagreeable, and offered it to Yolldash. 
Yolldash licked it, then went his way. We were .sorry 
afterwards that we had killed our faithful friend to such 
little purpose; but it was then too late. 
I understood now how thirst can make a man half insane. 
Islam and the other men gathered a .saucepanful of the 
camel’s urine. They poured it into an iron cup, and added 
vinegar and sugar ; then, holding their noses, swallowed 
the abominable concoction. They offered the cup to me ; 
but the mere smell nauseated me. All the others drank it 
except Kasim. And he was wise to abstain ; for after 
a while the other three men were seized with violent and 
painful vomiting, which completely prostrated them. 
Gaunt and wild-eyed, with the stamp of insanity upon 
him, Yollchi sat beside the tent, gnawing at the dripping 
sheep’s lungs. His hands were bloody ; his face was 
bloody ; he was a horrible sight to look upon. I and 
Kasim were the only two who were fit for anything. 
Islam Bai pulled himself together a little, after getting rid 
of his nauseous draught. He and I, once more, for the 
last time, went through our baggage. We decided to 
abandon the greater part of it. I put together in a little 
heap such things as I considered were indispensably 
necessary, such as my drawings and route - plottings, 
specimens of rocks and of sand, maps, scientific instru- 
ments, pens, paper, the Bible and Swedish psalm-book, 
together with a number of other small articles. Islam 
Bai likewise picked out what he thought indispensable, 
such as provisions for three days (flour, tea, sugar, bread, 
and a couple of cases of preserved food). I proposed to 
leave behind all our Chinese silver money, half a camel 
