although they confessed that their troops consisted
of but two men who lived in the village, yet they
delighted in their castle in the air and their apparently
dominating position over the village and country
below.
CHAPTER VI
MOUNT EVEREST
The route invariably taken by traders leaving Lhatse
for Western Tibet runs parallel to, but many miles
to the north of the Brahmaputra. Though the going
on this northern road is nothing to boast about, it
is preferable to the tracks which run along the
banks of the river. This trade route again touches
the Tsangpo 160 miles beyond Lhatse, and as the
course of the river up to this point was quite unknown,
we determined to follow it up.
For this purpose, and in order to survey as much
ground as possible, the expedition divided into two
parties. It was settled that Wood and Bailey should
keep to the trade route, taking with them all the
heavy and spare baggage and the private transport
ponies, while Ryder and I, lightly equipped,
would follow the river.
The next morning we set out, having carefully
arranged the kits the evening before into two lots, in
order that the start might be made without any
muddle, yet even with this precaution we went off
with the bedding belonging to a military surveyor of
the northern party. Fortunately for this man, his
bundle was noticed by us in the evening and was
returned to him the next day. There are some
people in this world who never can look after their
own things.