Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 144 (Color Image)

0144	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

110 PEKING TO LHASA

usual thoroughness and never gave up hope of

success.

Jye-kundo was his first objective, and his future

plans he would have to settle there : he might

go from there either to Nagchuka or to Chamdo,

and so on to Lhasa. And if both these ways of

entering Tibet were barred he might have to make

for Tachien-lu. But even that line of retreat

might be forbidden, as it was to Sorensen, and he

might after all have to retrace his steps to Tangar,

a dreary prospect when pressed for food and

money and perhaps ill. These points would have

to be decided after his arrival at Jye-kundo. To

get there he started buying mules and ponies,

though as soon as he had bought them he found

it would have been best to hire animals. By

May 3 he had bought eight ponies and fifteen

mules. The latter cost 406 taels and the ponies

(exclusive of one he had before) 180 taels.

Presents for the Tibetans he also bought five

pieces of yellow silk, enough to make a short

coat, for 23 taels, seventy-two feet of red cloth

for 14 taels, and six blue katas or scarves for

presentation on visits, and small presents, such

as coral beads and children's cheap toys.

His luggage, including his private boxes, store

boxes and presents, only came to 1600 catties,

which was only 110 catties a mule, about thirty

catties under the usual load. He also hired five

mules and two donkeys to carry beans as forage

to Ta-ho-pa, 126 miles.

Arthur B. Sorensen, a Dane in the employ of

the North Eastern Telegraph Company, arrived

at Tangar on April 26. He had tried to reach

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