There is not very much to report about this second
passage by the side of the river to Ra-lung. On the
next day, we passed Gobshi, and encamped a quarter of
a mile west of Long-ma in a pitiless downpour. On
the third day from Gyantse, we reached Ra-lung, and
encamped a little way farther along the same plateau
upon which Colonel Brander had pitched his tents in
the first week in May. The short vegetation was rank,
and surprisingly bright, but no trees, of course, were to
be seen after we had left behind the willows of Kamo
and Long-ma. The mounted infantry, of course, preceded
us day after day, and by their reports the length
of the next day’s journey was decided. On the evening
of the 16th, news was brought in that the wall on the
Karo la had been lengthened and reinforced by a parallel
wall 200 yards behind it. Great activity on the enemy’s
part was reported, and the small column prepared for
a sharp engagement on the 18th. The composition of
the little force may as well be set down here ; it consisted
of six guns of the 7th Mountain Battery (ten
pounders), and two guns of the 30th Mountain Battery
(seven pounders) with the maxim of the Norfolk Regiment.
There were also half a company of the 3rd
Sappers, and the first and second companies of mounted
infantry^—200 men in all. Of infantry, there were
the headquarters and four companies of the Royal
Fusiliers ; one company of the 23rd Pioneers ; headquarters
and four companies of the 32nd Pioneers,
headquarters and six companies of the 40th Pathans
and headquarters and six companies of the 8th
Gurkhas. There was one section of a British Field
Hospital and two and a half sections of a Native Field
Hospital, while about 3,000 mules drawn from the 7th,
9th, 10th and 12th Mule Corps acted as transport.
Besides these beasts, there were also about 250 yaks, and
two Coolie Corps.
This was a well-equipped and self-contained little
force, and there was no doubt whatever, that what
Colonel Brander had been able to do with less than
The Karo la, 18th July, 1904 ; eastern side. The wall was built across the end of this
opening in the gorge.
350 men in May, this column could easily achieve in
the middle of July. But the peculiar difficulty of
orcing the Karo la lies, it will be remembered, in the
fact that the wall built by the Tibetans crossed the
gorge just where two ice-fields 2,000 feet above the floor
of the valley render a turning movement impossible on
either side. The wall itself was, as we know, of magni-
v o l . 11. 6#