between them, this operation necessitating repetition,
during a march, over and over again ; for the packages
were always slipping or being knocked off by other
yaks. To load one animal, a general halt has to be
called, for no self-respecting yak will allow himself to
be handled quietly unless he is with his fellows. When
once off on their way, however, they are excellent
beasts of burden, especially in the late autumn months,
when they are in prime condition and rolling in fat,
on which the poor beasts have to exist until spring
comes round again, and with it new grass.
The next day we left for Nak-chak, distant about
18^ miles, and in the absence of any clearly defined
road the caravan made its way across country covered
with grassy mounds, which proved more than trying to
the laden ponies. Towards the end of the journey
matters improved, as many parallel paths led across the
plain to the new camping-ground. This was situated
on the banks of the Tsangpo, now so diminished in
size as to be fordable, with ease, at all seasons of the
year.F
rom Nak-chak we made our way through Lak-
tsang to Rajen, about which place the less said the
better. The whole country was enveloped in snow, and
no grazing was procurable for the ponies ; to make
matters worse, not only was the usual supply of
grass, which had been previously daily brought in by
the Tibetans, not forthcoming, but water was only
procurable from a small spring, the overflow of which
disappeared almost immediately into the gravelly soil.
The only interesting feature in connection with the
place was a deserted and ruined monastery, situated
on a rocky spur about four miles to the north-east.
This proved to be our last day amongst the plains
of the Brahmaputra, for all that now remained of the
great river were numerous channels, which in the rainy
season drained the neighbouring hills. The main
tributary lay to the south, and obviously terminated
in a similar manner. The night was bitterly cold, the
thermometer registering 51 degrees of frost.
From here we had anticipated difficult travelling,
for we had entered the mountains, and expected to find
the ascent of the famous Ma-yum La, the pass which
separates the Brahmaputra Valley from the Mana-
sarowar Lake district, both rough and steep. The
pathway, however, was clearly defined, and the miles
which lay between Rajen and the summit of the pass
offered no impediment to our passage, as we travelled
along a gentle slope the whole way.
A heap of stones, roughly five or six feet high,
consisting of many thousands of white quartz pebbles,
crowned the summit of the pass. Several smaller piles
were situated close by, and from each of these a string
passed to the main collection and carried countless rags,
the majority of which were white and bore printed
prayers. The weary pilgrim passing on his way was
ever happy in the thought that his contribution was
acceptable to the gods, and that prayers were being
continuously offered up as the rags fluttered in the
wind. In addition, there was a motley collection of
ovis ammon and other horns, picked up on the road
and deposited there by the traveller.
The view obtained from the summit was disappointing,
for the pass was shut in on all sides by
rounded mountains.
The slope on the western side was easy, and so the
animals rapidly covered the four miles which intervened
before the camp was reached. This was situated on a
sheltered flat at the mouth of the ravine and on the
edge of a plain, the centre of which was occupied by