Mansing partially untied after twelve hours on the
rack--Numbed--How the brain works under such circumstances--My
scientific instruments--The end of my photographic plates--A
paint-box accused of occult powers--An offer refused--Courtesy
and cruelty combined.
BY way of precaution, a light was set between Mansing and myself, and, as
it was still raining hard, the Tibetans placed a canvas shelter over us
to prevent the light from being extinguished. At about six or seven in
the morning, Mansing's feet were untied, but not his hands. I was left in
the same uncomfortable and painful posture. The hours passed very slowly
and wearily. My legs, my arms and hands had gradually become quite
lifeless, and after the first six or seven hours that I had been
stretched on the rack, I felt no more actual pain. The numbness crept
along every limb of my body, until I had now the peculiar sensation of
possessing a living head on a dead body.
It is indeed remarkable how one's brain keeps alive and working well
under such circumstances, apparently unaffected by the temporary
mortification of the remainder of the system.
The day now dawning was one full of strange incidents. When the sun was
high in the sky, the Pombo, with a great number of Lamas, rode down from
the monastery, though the distance was very short. He went to his tent,
and presently my cases of scientific instruments were brought outside and
opened, the soldiers and Lamas displaying an amusing mixture of curiosity
and caution over everything they touched. I had to explain the use of
each instrument, a difficult matter indeed, considering their ignorance
and my limited knowledge of Tibetan, which did not allow of my delivering
scientific addresses. The sextant was looked upon with great suspicion,
and even more so the hypsometrical apparatus, with its thermometers in
brass tubes, which they took to be some sort of firearm, Then came a lot
of undeveloped photographic plates, box after box of which they opened in
broad daylight, destroying in a few moments all the valuable negatives
that I had taken since leaving Mansarowar. The Pombo, more observant than
the others, noticed that the plates turned a yellowish colour on being
exposed to the light.
"Why is that?" asked he.
"It is a sign that you will suffer for what you are doing to me."
The Pombo flung away the plate, and was much upset. He ordered a hole to
be dug in the ground some way off, and the plates to be instantly buried.
The soldiers, however, who had been entrusted with the order, seemed loth
to touch the plates, and they had to be reprimanded and beaten by the
Lamas before they would obey. At last, with their feet, they shoved the
boxes of negatives to a spot some distance off, where, in dog fashion,
they dug a deep hole with their hands in the muddy ground; and there,
alas! my work of several weeks was covered for ever with earth.
Now came my paint-box with its cakes of water-colours.
"What do you do with these?" cried an angry Lama, pointing at the
harmless colours.
"I paint pictures."
"No, you are lying. With the 'yellow' you find where gold is in the
country, and with the 'blue' you discover where malachite is."
I assured them that this was not the case, and told them that, if they
would untie me, I would, on recovering the use of my arms, paint a
picture before them.
They prudently preferred to leave me tied up.
Their whole attention was now drawn to a considerable sum in silver and
gold which they found in the cases, and the Pombo warned the people that
not one coin must be stolen.
I took this chance to make an offering of 500 rupees to the lamasery, and
told the Pombo that I would like him to accept as a gift my
Martini-Henry, which I had noticed rather took his fancy.
Both gifts were refused, as they said the lamasery was very wealthy, and
the Pombo's position as an official did not allow him to carry a rifle.
The Pombo, nevertheless, was quite touched by the offer, and came
personally to thank me.
In a way the rascals were gentlemanly enough in their manner, and I could
not help admiring their mixture of courtesy and cruelty, either of which
they could switch on at a moment's notice without regard to the other.