would have no food supplies left, Hargreaves loaded up
the remaining eight ponies and made every effort to
reach me. Short marches only could be accomplished,
and after reaching camp the ponies were sent back to
bring up further supplies. This work proved so heavy,
that two more ponies died by the wayside, leaving
six enfeebled animals only with which to make a
supreme effort. Sixty miles short of the prearranged
meeting-place the poor beasts finally broke down, and
a halt had to be called. Two of the men with the two
strongest ponies (one of which died on the road) were
then sent forward by Hargreaves, in the hope of finding
and bringing us back, as his party was incapable of
further movement forwards or backwards.
This was indeed a knock-down blow! All ideas
of proceeding eastwards for two or three hundred
miles had to be abandoned at once, for, at all costs,
Hargreaves had to be rejoined; this accomplished, we
should have to strike southwards in the hope of meeting
Tibetans from whom help might be obtained.
It was a bitter disappointment, but there was no alternative
before us.
As we understood that Hargreaves and his party
had a sufficient supply of stores for their present needs,
I determined to leave them where they were for the
time being and explore in an easterly direction—a
risky proceeding, no doubt, but one that appealed
strongly to me, as we had reached the most easterly
point which Deasy had previously surveyed. Orders
were consequently given that the ponies should be got
ready for two forced marches to the east, and I made
up my mind that in those two days we would map all
the neighbouring district.
But even this amount of satisfaction was denied
me, for the men came in a body to my tent and