Then, Crouching Down And Crawling Along
As If On Velvet, Down We Went Again, And After Another Long And Trying
Stalk, over broken ground formed apparently of small slates placed
edgeways, and crumbling rocks, whose slightest fall would have been
Destruction to our plans, we attained a rock about two hundred yards
from the herd, and paused for breath once more. They were lying about
sunning themselves, with an outlying sentinel posted here and there
on either side of them on the look-out; and seeing an eligible spot
some fifty yards nearer, we stole along to reach it. We were not,
however, destined to take this unfair advantage of the enemy. Just
as we had half crossed the distance, an ill-fated, abominable little
fragment of rock suddenly broke off, and at its first bound away went
the herd like lightning over the precipitous rocks, and with a little
chirrupping noise like sparrows, were in a few seconds well out of
range of bullets. As the natives express it, "they became wind,"
and we were left behind our rock, looking, after all our toils, to
say the least of it, extremely foolish. A shot which I took at some
250 yards was more to relieve ourselves by making a noise than with
any hopes of bringing down one of the light-heeled little creatures,
for their bounding powers put all correctness of aim at that range
out of the question.
The next part of the programme was breakfast, but alas! there were
no signs in any direction of the bearer of our supplies, and I now
recollected that the rock which had so puzzled us would be quite
inaccessible to the coolie and his precious charge, without which
he himself was useless. All we could do was to ascend a high peak of
mountain, in hopes that the breakfast would ascend another, and that
we could then exchange signals of distress and obtain relief. However,
after reaching our look-out station, which took us some climbing,
we could discern nothing around us bearing the slightest resemblance
to a coolie, and our hopes began to descend below zero.
It was now about twelve o'clock, and taking advantage of the produce
of the country, I made a light breakfast off two stalks of rhubarb,
and tying a handkerchief to the top of my pole as a signal, lay down
in the very minute portion of shade procurable under a midday sun,
and indulged in the pleasures of imagination, conjured up by absent
chicken legs and cold chupatties. After a long wait, I came to the
conclusion that the two pieces of rhubarb were entirely insufficient
to continue the day's work upon, so I reluctantly gave the order to
retreat upon our camp, and turned from thoughts of breakfast to those
of dinner. My grass shoes were by this time completely worn out by the
pointed rocks and flinty ground we had traversed, and my spare ones
were in the society of the cold chicken and the chupatties, so that
I was soon walking in nothing but socks. Before long, this portion of
my property was also run through, and I was finally obliged to borrow
the sportsman's pointed slippers, in which I managed to get along over
the ruggedest piece of creation I ever traversed, and reached our camp
about three P.M. Tired, hungry, and burnt by the sun, a bathe in the
rushing torrent and a visit to the kitchen were soon accomplished,
and I then learnt that the coolie, being stopped by the rock, had
come back at once, and, having been again immediately packed off by
F. to search for us, had not been since heard of.
AUGUST 19. - Found the Q.M.G. to-day laid up with fever and influenza,
and administered some quinine pills to him, besides ordering a steed
to carry him on to Ladak to-morrow.
Explored the Lama's habitations and temples, and saw some very curious
carvings and paintings on stones, some of them not altogether in the
Church order of design.
Some of the ceilings were beautifully decorated, and must have cost
a good deal of money in their day, but they were now rapidly falling
into decay.
During the day we had a good opportunity of seeing the Lamas go through
their private devotions. The operation appeared simple enough. Each
as he entered the court and passed along the rows of wheels, by
simply stretching out his arm set the whole of them in motion,
at the same time repeating "Um mani panee" in a dolorous voice to
himself. Coming then to the large wheel with painted characters,
he gave it an extra energetic spin, which sufficed to keep it in
motion for several minutes, and having thus expended his energies
for the time being, he again disappeared as he had come. One of the
smaller wheels I found in a state of neglect and dilapidation as
to its outer case, and thinking it a good opportunity to discover
something as to the meaning of the system in general and of "Um mani
panee" in particular, I quietly abstracted the inner contents, in
full assurance that it would never be missed; that the wheel itself
would go round as merrily as ever, and that, as far as the prayers
were concerned, there were still sufficient left behind, considering
the reduced state of the monasteries, to satisfy the conscience even
of the devoutest of Lamas.[28]
As I passed out, however, a huge black dog, which was chained up in the
yard, seemed, by the rabid manner in which he made feints at my legs,
to be quite aware of what I had done, and he snapped and howled, and
strained and tore at his chain as I went by, just as if he detected
the holy bundle sticking out of my pocket, and thoroughly understood
my consequent guilty appearance. The principal designs upon the stones
here - some of which, in colour, were in wonderful preservation -
appear to be cross-legged effigies of Buddha, seated in that state
of entire abstraction from all passions and desires, which seem to
be the end and object of Buddhists' aspirations.
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