to defend themselves, but fled in all directions up the
ravines and clefts of the sides of the valley— anywhere
out of the reach of the “ Nightmare ” and his men.
The blow inflicted upon the -enemy was trebled by
this successful pursuit, and in Lhasa afterwards we
heard that the Tibetans themselves admitted 600
casualties. This is certainly an over-statement, made
partly in order to justify their expulsion from so strong
a position, partly also to persuade the authorities
that it was no longer any use attempting to oppose
our advance. We took a few prisoners. Our own
casualties, besides the loss of Bethune— a host in himself
were but four killed and thirteen wounded. The
day’s work reflects the utmost credit on the two outflanking
parties, and if it had been possible to retain
any sort of control of the position we had gained, this
fight in itself might have been the turning point of the
expedition. As it was, there was nothing to do but to
return with the utmost speed to Gyantse. Colonel
Brander had not the time even to pull down the Tibetans’
wall. The tents and the ammunition were destroyed,
as much damage to the wall as could be done in the
short time was carried out, and then the force returned
to their camping-place of the previous night four miles
back in the Plain of Milk.
The altitude to which the southern flanking party
attained was probably the. highest point on the earth’s
surface at which an engagement has ever taken place,
and the accounts given by the men of the terrible labour
of climbing, and of the utter inability, at this height of
over 18,000 feet, to do more than crawl forward listlessly,
were not the least interesting part of this extraordinary
action.
The Glacier Lake.
AL L THE B A C K G RO U N D , W H IT E AN D B L A C K A L IK E , SO FAR
A S TH E L IN E OF SLOPING SHALE ON THE RIGHT, IS IC E .
Granite, Payne's grey, silver and blue ; aquamarine lights
in crevasses.