COUNTRY OF THE TANGUTS 1153 
was crowned by a small plain obo, erected to the deities of 
the Southern Koko-nor Mountains. From the top of the 
pass, we looked, towards the north-west, down into the 
broad open valley of the Bukhain-gol, shut in on the north 
by a range of low hills. The view was very extensive, and 
the country equally as open as the region of the lake-basins 
we travelled through in Northern Tibet. 
On the other side of the pass we descended the glen of 
the Ndkkoten-gol, a brook almost dry, and after a march 
of nearly sixteen miles pitched our tents beside it. The 
only fuel we could get was the dung of the wild ass ; on the 
other hand there was plenty of good herbage. At that 
place we met a caravan of fifty Tanguts from the valley 
of Dulan. They were greatly surprised to see us, but 
manifested no sign of hostility. They were all on horse- 
back, and had with them a number of yaks loaded with 
sacks and other baggage. They said they had been to 
Ten-kar, to buy flour and other necessaries for the winter. 
November 7th. During the night the Tanguts prowled 
round our camp again, but were unsuccessful in stealing 
any of our horses, and in the morning they left before we 
did. All day we travelled nearly due east for a distance of 
twenty miles. One stream we came to, the Kundelung, 
althouoh but small, nevertheless occasioned us consider- 
able difficulty to get across it. Islam Akhun from Keriya, 
who rode one of the pack-horses, was the first to try the 
soft slushy ice. But the water was so deep that the horse 
was nearly drowned, and its rider got a cold bath, whilst 
the packages which the animal carried were splashed all 
over with water. Parpi Bai made an attempt a little 
higher up, but with the same result. At length Loppsen 
discovered a place where the stream was relatively shallow, 
and the ice could be broken up with axes. 
The soft level ground was very much cut up by the holes 
and runs of voles, and we had to keep a sharp look-out to 
guard against the horses coming down. Upon emerging 
from the glen, we turned down beside the Bukhain-gol, 
and rode through a series of thickets and underwoods. 
The stream was broad and deep, and its bed littered with 
