268 S. C. Das — Travels on the Shores of Lake Yamdo-Croft. [No. 3, 
we ascended a gentle acclivity. An hour’s ride brought us to the top 
of this ridge, which ran in a lateral direction from right to left till 
obstructed by the lake. From this eminence we saw the villages of 
Yurop, Kegutag and Khyunpo-do situated on the side of the lake. The 
country, though very thinly populated, yields extensive pastures, as could 
be judged from the healthy appearance of the numerous cattle—yak, 
sheep, goat, and donkeys grazing here and there. At 3 p.m. we saw a 
man coming towards us at a swift pace. Gopon accosted him, and after 
a short conversation found him to be his friend’s son. As the man was 
going on urgent business to his home at Ri-o-tag, he said he could not come 
back to Shari in the evening, but begged us to pass the night at the 
house of his father-in-law, who was the richest man of Shari. Riding 
slowly down a gentle slope, we came to a flat dip, where we met a 
shepherd tending about three to four hundred sheep. He saluted me 
and pointed out to us the village of Shari, situated on the lee side of a 
ridge standing between Yamdo and a small lake about six or seven miles 
in circumference. The margin of this fresh water lake and the slopes 
on all sides were covered with excellent pasture, on which a number of 
cattle were grazing, while the lake itself abounded with wild ducks and 
swans, besides other water-fowl, all of which would have been very 
tempting objects for sportsmen. The village of Shari, which com¬ 
mands an excellent view of the smaller lake, being situated on an emi¬ 
nence on its bank, contained two rich families, the huts of whose misser 
(serfs) were scattered round their spacious houses. A long and well 
repaired mandang (votive pile of inscribed stones) with a pretty clihorten 
(stupa) near it formed the frontage. Alighted near the chhorten , I sat 
on its plinth, and sent Gopon to negotiate for our night’s accommoda¬ 
tion. His acquaintance, who was unwell, was afraid of receiving us in 
his house, evidently from apprehension of smallpox. Gopon, however, 
after much entreaty, obtained his leave for our occupying the Manilha- 
khang (temple of the mani prayer wheel), and a maid-servant with a 
kettleful of tea came to conduct us to it. The Manilhakhang was a pretty 
turret-like stone house, measuring 8 feet by 10 feet inside with a 
small spire rising from the middle of its flat roof. Its outside was 
decorated with a dusky red cornice, and the stones of its bonded 
walls were painted with Buddhist figures, so it presented an invit¬ 
ing appearance. On entering I was received by a grey-headed 
man, and a small table was placed before me and tea poured in a China 
cup for my refreshment. The centre of the room was occupied by 
a mani cylinder (prayer-wheel) about three feet in diameter and 
six feet high. Its outside was covered with mantras (charms) in the Lan- 
tsha (Ranja character of Magadha) and the ever present mystic expres- 
