The reports previously received had fully prepared
us for the insignificance of the place which formed the
goal of our journey, but it had never been fully realised
what a wretched little town it really was, though, as
we were to enter it on the following day, the actual
description can wait.
Nik-yu, our home that night, is the relay-house for
Gartok, and situated seven miles from that place in a
nicely sheltered and grassy valley. Here a herd of
yaks are kept all the year round, ready for whatever
caravan may come along. Awaiting us also at Nik-yu
were some servants of the Garpons (Governors) of
Gartok, who had been sent over to inform us that their
masters had the day previous arrived there from Gar
Gunsa, 40 miles away, and were ready to receive us.
The intervening stretch of level plain separating us
from the capital was covered at top speed the following
morning, and our objective reached on December 9th,
exactly two months from the day of leaving Gyantse.
CHAPTER X II
GARTOK REACHED
T h e nearer we approached to Gartok the less prepossessing
did the place appear. The wind howled
across the plain, sweeping the dust before it, while
banks of threatening storm-clouds rolled down the
mountain-sides.
The Garpons’ servants, mounted on sturdy little
ponies, cantered on ahead and steered for the nearest
of the three houses. This they declared was the guesthouse,
and was always kept in readiness for any officials
coming from or going to Lhasa. It looked forlorn and
desolate; the dust lay inches deep in the rooms, and
as the windows and doors were only gaping holes in
the walls, the wind carried the dust round and round
in suffocating clouds and then whisked it out of the
doorway.
The men were very anxious to unload the animals
quickly and get the baggage inside the house, but the
prospect was so uninviting that one of us went over to
examine the nearer of the other two buildings. This
turned out to be an excellent place, clean and roomy,
and with plenty of out-houses to shelter everyone. It
was partially occupied at the time, but the chattels of
these good people were quickly removed to the third
house, after which our loads were brought over and
distributed amongst their respective owners.
While the animals were being unladen, we had