46 IN TIBET AND CHINESE TURKES 7AN.
place, and the water at Camp 34 had proved to be so strongly impregnated with soda that all the men, except Leno, arrived not only thirsty but with empty water bottles. From a neighbouring hill we saw a large herd of yak several miles off, and it seemed therefore probable that water was within reach. Dass and two of the caravan men, thinking they saw water at the foot of the mountains on the north side of the valley, set out for a supply with all the empty bottles. It was now late, but there was clear moonlight during the greater part of the night, and the conformation of the hills supplied unmistakable landriharks. It was not till noon next day that the three returned, and they came from the quarter opposite to that towards which they had set out. They had only been partially successful, and had been able to fill very few of the bottles. From the highest hill-top near the camp I carefully examined the country in the direction where the yaks had been seen, and discovered some tents at a distance of a few miles. Being in doubt whether the owners of the tents were harmless nomads or professional robbers, we thought it would be imprudent to be quite defenceless in visiting them, and therefore three or four of our number were provided with arms. Our approach evidently caused much alarm, and the nomads, hastily collecting their large flocks, drove them away. The encampment itself, however, consisting of about seven wretched tents, was left standing, and the occupants received us in the calmest manner.
One man, who was making a nurnnah close to the springs, occasionally glanced up at us, but never stopped working. Having quenched our thirst with the excellent spring water, we gradually introduced the topic of guides and transports. The progress of negotiations was slow, but at length one man seemed disposed to sell us a yak, while another was willing, for the modest sum of two
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