Darchan the most important of these gompas
(monasteries), is a whitewashed building situated
a i thf.Plai11 on the soufhern slopes of the mountain.
A splendid view can be obtained from this place, for
it overlooks Manasarowar and Pu-rang Plain, right
up to the summit of the distant Himalayas’ The
inhabitants are under the control of no dzongpon
nor are they responsible to the Garpons of Gartok’
but communicate their desires and grievances direct
to the Lhasa authorities.
Although Kailas Parbat was passed on December
3rd yet very little snow had fallen, and our march
had been nowhere delayed, a fact which clearly showed
to the superstitious Tibetans that the gods were
smiling on our travels and assisting us in everv
possible way.
From Barkha onwards, the country becomes still
more barren and desolate. Grass undoubtedly grows
m great profusion during the summer months, though
at the time of our visit it was all dead and withered
herds of goats picking up here and there scanty
sustenance on the shrivelled blades. As grass decreased
in quantity so the prickly shrub proportionately
increased covering the lower slopes of the mountains
and the hollows in the plains, and growing at times in
such profusion as to almost obliterate the track. The
hares, which had been previously seen scurrying from
bush to bush or peering over every tuft of grass as
the caravan wandered in and out of the hillocks, were
now no longer visible.
As far as we could tell, antelope and gazelle
were non-existent, but game in some form or other
must have been plentiful, for wolves became more
and more numerous, and not a day passed but three
or more of these beasts were seen near the road. The
Y a k D r iv e r s .
Y a k s a r r iv in g in C am
lHriÍMífc<
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