OVER THE KWEN-LUN PASSES 945 
At Niya, which we left on July i8th, we once more 
turned towards the foot of the mountains, and after 
passing through Chicheghan-lengher and Yulgun-bulak 
came to the river Tollan-khoja, which has cut a deep 
channel through the conglomerate strata. On the way 
we had an awkward misadventure. Islam Bai saw a troop 
of antelopes grazing a short distance ahead. He rode 
on in advance, dismounted, tethered his horse, and stalked 
them through a ravine. The shot (unfortunately it missed) 
frightened the horses, which were now going by them- 
selves, without being led. Off they started in a wild race 
for the steppe, an undulating plain dotted with tussocks 
of grass. Luckily the horse which carried my instrument- 
cases was prevented from joining in the mad gallop, for 
it was always led by one of the men. As for the others, 
they disappeared in a cloud of dust, and only came to 
a stop when their loads slipped off their backs and got 
about their feet, preventing them from moving. Some 
of the boxes were broken ; one that contained cooking- 
utensils was smashed to atoms, and its contents scattered 
all over the steppe, several china cups being shivered 
to fragments. 
When we got into the neighbourhood of Kara-sai, we 
heard for the first time of a pass over the Kwen-lun 
Mountains which was said to lie south of Dalai-kurgan, 
about one day’s journey south-east of Kopa. I decided 
to go back to Kopa, to pick up more definite information, 
as well as to p -ocure guides. I also wanted some camels 
for the journey through Northern Tibet. I heard there 
were several, grazing in charge of their drivers, on the 
upper yeylaus (summer pasture -grounds) of the river 
Molldya ; and therefore sent on one of the trustiest of 
my men, Parpi Bai, to go and bring some for me to look 
at. Parpi Bai performed his errand capitally. When 
on July 28th we halted to rest at Molldya, he met us with 
thirteen good camels, and brought their owners with him 
too. I had previously despatched a courier to the beg 
of Kopa, Togda Mohammed Beg ; and he now rode up 
and helped me in the bargaining, by keeping down the 
