310 CAPTIVITY AND EELEASE 
(lord of all the district) being conveniently packed off in 
disgrace two days before. Our great ally was the Tchebu 
Lama, the Eajah's representative at Campbell's court, a 
man of intelHgence and vigour, who had been dreadfully 
misused in Sikkim by the enemies of the Enghsh who sur- 
round the Eajah's park. This man we absolved from all 
participation and consequences, offering him an asylum 
and provision at Darjihng should the worst come to pass. 
On the Border we were met by two Thibetan Sepas, 
who made a terrible row and endeavoured to stop us, with- 
out laying hands however on our bridles. They met us in 
Sikkim, swore that it was Bhota (Thibet ahas Cheen), a 
lie of which we took advantage when really across the 
border. Then a terrible row was kicked up and the Cheen 
camp came out running after us with boots, matchlocks, &c. 
The Lama and Phipun both got frightened and implored 
us to stop for a conference, to which Campbell properly 
acceded, and I put spurs to my pony and galloped ahead on 
to the sandy plains of Thibet, determined to stay away all 
day and see what I could, for there was no good I could do 
by waiting with C, who could make no retrograde motion 
whilst I was ahead. Two Sepas started in pursuit of me, 
but Campbell kept them back with his stick till I was out 
of sight and of catchable distance. The elevation, 17,000 
feet, was such that my pony was soon knocked up and I 
pursued my way on foot up the Lachen, at the back of 
Kinchin-jhow, over dry sandy stony dunes, with Carex, a 
little grass, tufts of nettles. Ephedra and a thirsty looking 
Lonicera ? a few inches high. Proceeding N.E. from 
Kongra Lama I had long, stony, rolling mountains on the 
North and East, and to the South the stupendous snowy 
mass of Kinchin-jhow rose plumb perpendicularly from the 
sandy plains. Finding the country so traversable I thought 
it the best thing I could do to follow the Lachen to its source 
near the Donkiah Pass, as that would be our route out if 
Campbell should succeed in getting the coolies and himself 
past the guard, and because I had difficulty in making C. 
beheve that I could and would guide him through the waste 
with compass and sextant if he only could and would break 
the frontier. Later in the day I arrived at Cholamo lakes, 
within sight of the Donkiah Pass, but my pony was so 
