the daily post, without variety. There was little actual
danger, but we were of course restricted to the narrow
limits of the defended posts for the greater part of the
time of the investment. Towards the end, when we
had secured and were holding Pala village and the
Gurkha post, and after Sheppard had constructed
his covered ways between us and them, more exercise
was possible. But for the greater part of the time we
could not stray beyond our own perimeter, and that in
itself became somewhat of a burden. Perhaps the want
of exercise contributed in no small degree to the irritation
caused by this sense of captivity, but whatever the
cause, an observant man might at times have noticed
a slight tendency towards what we believe was called in
Ladysmith, “ siege temper.” In fact, with the exception—
and in justice I must say the absolute exception—
of Colonel Younghusband himself and Captain Sheppard,
there was hardly anyone in the little force who
was entirely free from a touch of this pardonable frailty.
It is a pity that there were not more men with the
force who were able to sketch. The most rudimentary
skill in colour would have found scope indeed at
Gyantse. As it was, there was hardly a paint-box in the
force, if we except the little old-fashioned cakes of colour
which officially provide for the sappers the reds and greys
and ochres needed for their plans. However, even
had there been more skill and better equipment, there
would have been little time for the mere work of the
artist. It is perhaps worth while to try to catch in
words a little of what the finest photograph must fail
utterly to record.
The colour of Tibet has no parallel in the world.
Nowhere, neither in Egypt, nor in South Africa, nor even
in places of such local reputation as Sydney, or Calcutta,
or Athens, is there such a constancy of beauty, night
and morning alike, as there is in these fertile plains inset
in the mountain backbone of the world. Here there is a
T h e covered way constructed by C aptain S heppa rd between Chang-lo a n d Pa la .
range and a quality in both light and colour which
cannot be rendered by the best of coloured plates, but
which must always be remembered if the dry bones of
figure and fact are to be properly conceived.