BOATING ON NORTHERN LOP-NOR 893 
canoe, and the last of the two usually stands, so as to see 
over the head of the man in front of him. 
I took advantage of a rest-day to make several trial-trips 
on the lake, so as to ascertain my oarsmen’s average rate 
of speed, in other words, to obtain a unit of time and 
distance by which to measure the length of the journey 
before me. We started on April iith, one rower in the 
bow, the other in the stern, and I in the middle, sitting as 
comfortably as in an easy - chair on a pile of felts and 
cushions, with my itinerary note-book, compass, and pen 
in hand, the other instruments, knotted sounding -line, 
tape-measure, and provisions for two or three days being 
stowed away in every nook and corner that was free. I 
had a pleasant companion in my Chinese dog Yolldash the 
Third. When w'e left Korla he was a little yellow puppy, 
and as he was not strong enoug'h to run beside the caravan 
in its long journey through the sand, 1 had him packed into 
a basket, and let him ride on one of the camels. 
The first day’s riding made him “.sea-sick”; but he soon 
became accustomed to the motion. When he grew tired 
of running, he would simply lie down beside a tuft of grass, 
and wait till one of the men went back and fetched him, 
and put him in his basket. Throughout the rest of my 
journeying in Asia, this little dog never quitted my side ; 
he was my intimate companion in every day’s march 
and every adventure. He accompanied me in the canoe, 
and quickly showed his satisfaction at such a comfortable 
mode of progression. He was with me throughout the 
long journey back to Khotan, in my travels through 
Tibet, through Tsaidam, through China, Mongolia, and 
Siberia. Yolldash accomplished the greater portion of 
all that long journey on his own feet, and when we at 
last reached St. Petersburg was in first-rate condition. 
Unfortunately dogs are not allow^ed to be taken into 
Sweden from Russia ; consequently, on the very threshold 
of home, I was forced to part from my faithful fellow- 
traveller. I left him in the best of hands however, with 
Mr. Backlund, councillor of state, in Pulkova. There 
his Asiatic manners, being somewhat uncultivated, were 
