MY CARAVAN 
959 
the contours of the ground on my map, in making 
geological and hypsometrical observations, sketching, and 
so forth. Going last, we came into camp some hours 
after the horse-caravan, and found the tent already elected 
and dinner bubbling and steaming in the cooking-pots 
over a fire made between two stones. It was splendid 
after the long, tiring ride to go straight into my tent, 
the floor spread with the costly carpet which I received as 
a gift from the commandant of Khotan just as I was 
leaving the town. Along one side of the tent stood my 
bed, made of furs, felts, and two or three cushions ; on the 
other side my boxes, ranged in order. The moment the 
two tents came in sight, Yolldash, who always kept close 
at my horse’s heels during the march, used to scamper off 
in advance and lie down on my bed. When I drew up to 
the camp, the cunning rascal came and stood in the tent 
opening, cheerfully wagging his tail, as if to welcome 
me, and impress upon me the fact that he was the rea 
master of the house. But after that he had to content 
himself with the mandarin’s carpet ; for I took possession 
of the soft bed, and at once set about working out the 
notes I had made during the march, sketching in the 
itinerary of the day, entering the meteorological observa- 
tions, labelling specimens, and so on. 
Fong Shi promised excellently well, and I valued his 
companionship highly, for in respect of intellectual attain- 
ments a cultivated Chinaman is a long way the superior 
of a Mohammedan mollah. In my spare hours, and 
often indeed whilst on horseback, we pegged away at 
lessons in Chinese, conversing as much as my limited 
vocabulary would allow. The only drawback to having 
Fong Shi with me was, that the Mohammedans were 
jealous of him being so much in my company and .sitting 
in my tent whilst giving me a lesson. They called him 
jestinMy kityick-Uira or the Little Master, and made 
a fus.s'^that, being faithful Mohammedans, they were asked 
to dress food for a heathen Chinese. Two or three times 
I was obliged to intervene to preserve peace between the 
parties. 
