IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| In Tibet and Chinese Turkestan : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
1r ::JfiY• • ~.„legly
DEATH OF PIKE'S PONY. 33
incapacity for further work, although by no means very emaciated, died during the night of the 29th of July .
amidst so much èxcellent grazing that poisonous grass was suspected, especially as a mule died at the same
place. Much to my regret and, I may add, annoyance, nothing would induce my companion to share my riding
pony which was at first continually offered to him, but always refused. We had decided to march along the
northern side of this valley on account of the grass which
was more plentiful there than on the opposite bank, where numerous rivulets and springs rendered the ground
too soft for the progress of the caravan. Finding, how-
ever, that our general direction was more northerly than was thought advisable to follow, we resolved to cross to
the south side. Our camp was close to a broad stream,
the volume of which was small, but its soft and treacherous bottom proved a formidable obstacle, which we eventually
negotiated successfully after much time had been spent
in searching for a place sufficiently sound for the caravan to proceed with safety. Whilst some men were looking
for a ford the majority went in search of thirty animals that had strayed so far during the night, that it was not until 5.30 p.m. that they were brought back to camp.
When time is of no importance, and transport and supplies do not cause any anxiety, a retrograde movement
is of but little consequence ; but when supplies are limited
and the bearers of them decidedly thin, it is of the utmost importance to economise both time and labour. Fôr a
short time after striking Bower's route at the north of Aru Cho, we seriously considered the advisability of following it for a few marches before deviating from
a previously trodden route, for it cannot be designated a track, as not a vestige of one was to be seen. We
considered that in all probability we would be able to travel east by that route for at least some marches without
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