Free at last--Among friends--Forgetting our past
troubles--Confiscated baggage returned--A scene with
Nerba--Suna's message delivered--How our release was brought
about--Across the frontier--Photography at Gungi.
[Illustration: PUNDIT GOBARIA]
SUCH was our anxiety, when we reached this point, lest something should
happen and we should be taken back again, that, as soon as we were across
the wooden bridge over the Gakkon, Chanden Sing and I, on perceiving the
large Shoka encampment at the foot of the hill, lashed our ponies and ran
away from our guard. Thus, galloping our hardest along the high cliff,
where hundreds of people live in holes in the clay, we found ourselves at
last among friends again. The Shokas, who had come over to this market to
exchange their goods with the Tibetans, were astounded when they saw us,
recognising us at first with difficulty.
We inquired at once, of course, for Dr. Wilson, and when we found him the
good man could, himself, barely recognise us, so changed were we. He
seemed deeply moved at seeing our condition.
When the news of our arrival spread in camp, we met with the greatest
kindness at the hands of everybody. In a corner of Wilson's tent was a
large quantity of candied sugar--several pounds; and so famished was I
that I quickly devoured the lot. Later, my Shoka friends brought in all
kinds of presents in the shape of eatables, which Rubso, the Doctor's
cook, was set to prepare.
The Political Peshkar, Karak Sing, hurried to me with a change of
clothes, and other garments were given me by Dr. Wilson. My own ragged
attire was literally swarming with vermin; our guard had not allowed us a
single change of raiment, nor would they even hear of our washing. It was
by a very special favour and on account of its sanctity that we were
allowed to plunge in the sacred Mansarowar Lake.
Later in the day my wounds and injuries were examined by Dr. Wilson, who
sent his reports to the Government of India, to the Commissioner of
Kumaon, and to the Deputy Commissioner at Almora.
[Illustration: DR. WILSON]
Tenderly nursed by Wilson and Karak Sing, and having partaken of plenty
of good food, I found my spirits, which had fallen rather low, reviving
as if by magic; and, strange to say, after a few hours of happiness, I
was already beginning to forget the hardships and suffering I had
endured. I remained three days at Taklakot, during which time part of my
confiscated baggage was returned by the Tibetans, and, as can well be
imagined, I was overjoyed to discover that among the things thus
recovered were my diary, note-books, maps and sketches. My firearms, some
money, the ring I have before referred to as having been a gift of my
mother, several mathematical instruments, collections, over 400
photographic negatives, and various other articles were still
missing,[38] but I was glad to get back as much as I did.
To Dr. Wilson's tent came the Tokchim Tarjum, his private secretary
Nerba, whom the reader may remember as having played an important part in
my tortures, the Jong Pen's secretary, and old Lapsang in a fine green
velvet coat with ample sleeves. As can be seen by perusing the Government
Enquiry and Report in the Appendix to this book, the above-mentioned
Tibetan officers admitted before the Political Peshkar, Dr. Wilson,
Pundit Gobaria, and many Shokas, that the account I gave of my
tortures--identical with the one in these pages--was correct in every
detail. They even professed to be proud of what they had done, and used
expressions not at all flattering to the British Government, which they
affected to treat with great contempt.
[Illustration: KARAK SING PAL, THE POLITICAL PESHKAR]
I nearly got the Political Peshkar and the Doctor into a scrape; for my
blood, the little I had left, was boiling with rage at hearing the
Tibetan insults. The climax came when Nerba refused to give back my
mother's ring, which he had upon him. In a passion I seized a knife that
was lying by me, and leaped upon Nerba, the ruffian who, besides, had
fired at me and had held me by the hair while my eyes were being burnt
prior to my abortive execution. Wilson and Karak Sing seized and
disarmed me, but there was a general stampede of the Tibetan officers,
and thus our interview and negotiations were brought to an abrupt end.
[Illustration: MANSING SHOWING CUTS UNDER HIS FEET]
In further conversation I now learnt how my release had been brought
about. Dr. Wilson and the Political Peshkar, having received the news
that my servants and myself had been beheaded, proceeded across the
frontier to make inquiries and try to recover my property. They heard
then from the man Suna, whom I had sent from Mansarowar with my message,
that I was still a prisoner, covered with wounds, in rags and starving.
They had not men enough to force their way further into the country to
come and meet me; besides, the Tibetans watched them carefully; but they,
together with Pundit Gobaria, made strong representations to the Jong Pen
of Taklakot, and, by threatening him that an army would be sent up if I
were not set at liberty, they at last obtained from the reluctant Master
of the fort[39] a permission that I should be brought into Taklakot. The
permission was afterwards withdrawn, but was at last allowed to be
carried into execution, and it is entirely due to the good offices and
energy of these three gentlemen that I am to-day alive and safe--though
not yet sound.
Pundit Gobaria, who will be remembered as having been mentioned in my
early chapters, is the most influential Shoka trader in Bhot, and on very
friendly terms with the Tibetans. He was the intermediary through whom
negotiations were carried on for my immediate release, and it was largely
owing to his advice to the Jong Pen that they resulted satisfactorily.
[Illustration: A GLANCE AT THE FORBIDDEN LAND FROM THE LIPPU PASS]
After a brief rest to recover sufficient strength, I recommenced the
journey towards India, and, having crossed the Lippu Pass (16,780 feet),
found myself at last again on British soil. We descended by slow stages
to Gungi, where, in Dr. Wilson's dispensary, I had to halt for a few days
on account of my weak condition.
[Illustration: THE AUTHOR--FEBRUARY 1897 THE AUTHOR--OCTOBER 1897]
Wilson had here a quantity of my baggage, instruments, cameras, plates,
&c., which I had discarded at the beginning of my journey, and I
immediately had photographs taken of my two servants and myself, showing
our wounds and our shocking general condition. Photographs of my feet,
taken more than a month after I had been untied from the rack, showed a
considerable swelling, as well as the scars, round the ankle and on the
foot where the ropes had cut into my flesh. In the full-face photograph
here reproduced can be noticed the injuries to my left eye, as well as
the marks of the hot iron on the skin of my forehead and nose. Chanden
Sing's legs, which were photographed on the same occasion, though now
practically healed, were still much swollen, and the marks can be seen
in the illustration where big patches of skin and flesh had been torn
away by the lashes, producing nasty wounds.
[Illustration: CHANDEN SING'S LEGS, SHOWING MARKS OF LASHES AND WOUNDS
HEALED]
[38] Some of the articles missing were some months later recovered by the
Government of India. See Appendix.
[39] Jong Pen = Master of the fort.