980 
THROUGH ASIA 
sacrificing his home in Osh for three long years in order 
to accompany me. 
“ I am encountering difficulties in my attempt to pene- 
trate into Northern Tibet. Our camp is like a hospital ; 
it is impossible to travel with a troop of invalids. Under 
such circumstances a man is tied hand and foot. He has 
no alternative but to leave the incapable behind, after first 
seeing that they shall be properly protected and cared for, 
or else — abandon the journey. This last alternative is 
one of which I have a horror. I would rather perish 
than turn back. 1 mtist explore those unknown highland 
regions which stretch away south from the Arka-tagh. 
How delightful it is up here in the bright, fresh mountain 
air, amongst these constantly changing scenes, as com- 
pared with the monotonous deserts, with their grey skies, 
their close sultry atmosphere, their scorpions, ticks, and 
gnats, and dearth of water ! I revel in the thought that 1 
have left those inhospitable tracts behind me. But my 
men are afraid of the silent mountains ; they long to get 
back to the lowlands. 
“ Besides being unfortunate in itself, Islam Bai’s illness 
is attended with another mischievous effect. When the 
other men see that their caravan-bashi (leader) is broken 
down, they lose heart and their spirits fail, and they begin 
to think we have death in the camp. 
“ My confidence however in some degree keeps up their 
courage. They are pleased when I visit the invalids, and 
they like to come to me to talk over our plans for the 
future. Nevertheless they do not talk much ; their cheer- 
ful songs are silent.” 
Apart from this, the days we rested there were un- 
eventful. At noon the brook swelled considerably, and 
turned a brick-red colour; but towards evening it sank 
again, at the same time clearing back to its pristine purity. 
The atmosphere was inconceivably pure and transparent, 
so that the contours and every detail of even the furthest 
distant mountains stood out sharply. I sent out pioneers 
towards the south-east. They reported the existence of 
a deep valley traversed by a stream, which Hamdan Bai 
