Owing to the desertion of servants and attacks of robbers who were the cause of our losing both horses and their loads, Mr. Rijnbart and myself were left alone with only some food and bedding and one poor tired-out horse, which had to carry rather a heavy load while we walked, It had snowed heavily, and we had been compelled to leave the river and make a long dour to get past some rocks that obstructed the path. We found walking very difficult, and havin, fallen several times, while the horse slipped, rolling over and over, we cfme to a standstill on a steep hill sloping down to the river's edge. Far down stream by means of the telescope, we could see tents, with herds of cattle and flocks of sheep grazing on the hill-sides, but all on the opposite bank, On the morning of the 26th of September, after much prayer, Mr. R. took some dry garments done up in oil-cloth descended the hill with the intention of swimming the river, and reaching those tents to secure help from the natives, telling us he would be back the same day, before dark if possible. But when just about to take the stroke to swim, he returned and went up the bank out of sight beyond the rocks which had been the obstruction to me following, close to the river's edge. We waited, alone with God until dark, when we prayed much for peace sped on and he came not. A flock of sheep and freedom from anxiety as the hours
seen with the aid of a telescope told us he hi gone to the tents to which they belonged, in order to avoid swimming, as the water was very cold, and the thought came, the tents are far away, he will be here with aid early in the morning. It is a strange sensation to be entirely alone without even a dog, or a tent, in a hostile country, knowing that bears are numerous, several having been seen. But God was very near, and we spent a peaceful, though sleepless night.
the next day came avd went, and still no sign of the absent one, and many misgivings we had that all was not right, while we leaned very hard on our loving. Father when again we lay down, more for protec tion from the cold, than from any desire to sleep.
ext. morning having breakfasted upon a mixture of tsamba and snow, we were standing eagerly scanning with the telescope, when from behind' us up the hill came a call. How our heart bounded as we saw some yak, and concluded that help had come, only to be the more disappointed on seeing several armed Tibetans and two lamas going in the direction up the river. They came to us and we told them our difficulty, asking for help across the river, fearing to go to the tents to which Mr. R. had gone. They went away, promising to return with yak, but did not do so, and feeling that it would be a risk to stay there that night, we took a few eatables and a little bedding, and putting them on the horse, we slowly went up the hill along the iver to opposite the tents. Having with endless difficulty there being no road, and snow ishing heavily, renched, the place jut across from the tents, we called to the people who came down to the edge of the river considerably swollen with th melting snow. We shouted to send us two yak, long-haired oxen, to go across by, showing them as payment a scarf of ceremony. This not tempting them we showed a piece of silver we would give them, and quickly two yak were driven by means of shouts and, stones into the boiling current. But a3 we had bad no experience with these strange, wild-looking animals, we shouted to the men ild-looking animals, we shouted to th that ifa man did not come the yak need not, for we could not manage them, where upon no more stones were thrown, and the beasts quickly returned to their home, while the men told us, no one would cross the river on a yak, and we must stay where we were until moming. We prepared to do so,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.