National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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In Tibet and Chinese Turkestan : vol.1 |
96 IN TIBET . A ND * CHINESE TURKESTAN.
dispensing of ,drugs ceased, and an order was issued allowing for each man's restoration to health a period of twenty-four hours, after which a heavy fine would be imposed for every cough that was heard. This remédÿ_ was more effective than all drugs and cured ,the 'camp. with • marvellous rapidity..
After a long and tiring .march; in which we had to cross a pass, high but not difficult, we reached the valley in which Lutkum stands. During the greater part of the last day's march I rode .Pike's pony, which he very generously gave me, as I was rather used up, and when it was drawing near to seven o'clock in the evening we entered the village. A great supply of boortza had been collected for us, and other stores were in readiness, but we had to wait for about an hour till we heard the salaaming which betokened the meeting of- our Argûns with their fellow-countrymen, and the arrival of our diminished caravan.
Of the sixty-six animals with which we had set out from Leh no less than sixty had fallen victims to the hardships of the journey, or had been stolen by the
Chukpas. The ,emaining six were fit for no greater load than a few of the men's sheepskin coats,* and with
that they could only crawl slowly along. So low had their vitality been reduced by privation, that for several days they could not eat anything like a satisfactory quantity of the grass or barley, which was now offered them in abundance.
The provisions which we carried for the caravansuttoo, flour, rice, and bread—lasted till the day of our
return. Since the 18th of June, when we crossed the
Lanak La, our caravan had travelled 776 miles, of which I had walked more than half. I had still to reach Leh
to complete the journey, but there was no longer the need for pedestrian exercise, as the Wazir, Bishun Dass,
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