DREADFUL SORE BACKS. 63
-wéstwàrds, but no doubt their chief purpose was to keep us- under observation. One of them asserted there was no -route- southwards across the mountains, but said that his Om _tent was only two or three marches distant, where he would be willing to sell us some rice. He also promised to guide us towards Kangri if Ramzan would be silent on the subject.
From Thurgo (Camp 45) there was a route leading to Thok Jalung, where gold was said to be found, and to Rudok and Kangri, but the dread of punishment was to(*) great for the man who had promised to guide us, and he now refused to accompany us, even for one march, in that direction. We seriously thought of trying to force our way unaided out of Tibet by the Kangri route, but the difficulties were seen to be insurmountable, and we at length reluctantly agreed to return to Ladak, having received a promise that guides and sufficient transport would be provided for us. There was now a prospect of relief for our exhausted animals and an opportunity of attending to their sores. Neither medicine nor external applications had been of any avail while they were daily loaded with galling burdens, but with other transport in prospect I hoped for permanent improvement. I carefully dressed their wounds, thoroughly washing them and applying a solution of per-chloride of mercury in the proportion of 1 to 1,000 parts of water. This task, which I had to perform with my own hands, was the most unpleasant which fell to my lot during the course of the expedition. The appearance of the sores and their smell were sickening, and, in two or three cases, the lotion applied at one spot emerged through other apertures in the withers and back.
As soon as the fresh transport had been obtained we left Thurgo on the return journey to Ladak, under the guidance of an armed and well-mounted Tibetan escort.
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