A SERPENTINE RIVER—HUNGER—MARMOTS—A PLEASANT CAMPING.
As we loaded up the next morning everything was shrouded in a thick
white mist, and the ground was white with frost. The going was still
very heavy, and the stream, which took a winding course, had to be
frequently crossed. It was about ten yards broad, a foot or more deep,
swiftly flowing, and very cold.
As the mist lifted the day became warm, and the three mules sank
deeper than ever in the sodden ground. In spite of all our efforts, we
could only make seven miles' headway, but at the same time we had been
steadily descending.
On the banks we found good grass and plenty of onions. I photographed
our camp, now much reduced in size, and afterwards set out barefooted
down the stream on a journey of exploration, and in the hopes of finding
something to shoot.
After paddling on for a short distance I found another important looking
stream join its forces with the one I was following. This stream was
of equal volume, and flowed in from the north. It would have been
impossible to travel in a northerly direction, for the country was very
mountainous and barren, stretching eventually on to snow peaks. After a
time, I climbed a hill from which I could see there was a third stream
flowing into this one, coming from a south-westerly direction. As far as
I could judge, the river after this flowed easterly between two ranges
of hills. I thought that if we could only follow it we were sure to find
game, and perhaps people. It struck me, too, that perhaps it was the Chu
Ma, the very river we were after. Although I failed to find anything to
shoot, I returned to camp with my information, which we dilated upon
and argued over, so as to keep up the spirits of our men, and as rain
again set in, it was satisfactory that we had something to fill all with
expectation.
[Illustration: RUBY.]
A white mist again shrouded us as we continued down the stream. Twice
in the first five minutes we had to cross this icy cold water, so
snake-like was the course the river took. The banks were too steep for
the mules to have marched along them. It was a trying time for them,
indeed, to be frequently crossing and recrossing the same stream, whose
water came over our knees. All the mules, too, at different times
collapsed in mid-stream, when the loads had to be carried ashore by
us. At such a crisis as this we had no time to think of our little dog
Ruby, who would always follow bravely after us, and was sometimes nearly
washed away by the strong current. By the end of our march everybody
was wet and cold, and the baggage was soaked. Luckily, the sun put in
an appearance, and we were able to dry all our belongings. The immense
number of onions that grew on the banks helped in no slight degree to
feed the party, for we had run out of meat. Malcolm and I, therefore,
set out in opposite directions to try and shoot something. Although we
saw some antelope, neither of us had any success.
At this point where we had encamped, the stream took a southern course,
apparently bending east again afterwards. We reckoned that we should
cut off a corner by travelling east, and meeting the stream again later
on. When we did get a chance of bettering our route, we seldom let it
escape us. We marched over an undulating, sandy, grassy plain, a range
of mountains a mile or so off running parallel on our left. Suddenly
we struck another nullah, furnished with a stream equal in size to
the one we had been following. At the same moment the rain, which had
been threatening, poured without pity. We argued that it was better to
continue the march than to try and camp under such conditions. We saw
many tracks of kyang, which was all the more tantalizing to our desire
for meat. The only animal we saw was a wolf.
At length we reached a corner where our original stream joined the
one we were marching along, and we found we should have to cross this
formidable body of water. We could see a few hundred yards off on the
other bank a high-lying sandy spot to camp on, close to some green
banks. To reach this goal was no easy matter. The three mules were
getting very tired, so that two of them collapsed in the middle of
the stream. The sand, too, on the further side was treacherous for a
considerable distance.
By the time we had rescued our mules and carried our baggage to a place
of safety, the sun was again kind enough to have another look at us.
He was evidently displeased, for his presence was replaced by a heavy
downpour, which continued for a couple of hours. Personally I lit my
pipe, and soon fell asleep, till, at 3 o'clock, the sun again invited
us to go forth to try and shoot some animal for food. We were soon off
on the prowl, but all I saw was a white-headed vulture, a fox, and some
sand grouse, and Malcolm was equally without success. I saw, however,
that the stream meandered on sometimes between precipitous banks,
increasing in volume, and with this news we fortified our men.
At sunset the weather looked angry, nor did it fall short of its
foreboding; a strong east wind set in, and heavy rain fell throughout
the night. We managed to keep ourselves fairly dry, and slept in spite
of the storm that raged.
On waking at daybreak the wind was still blowing hard, but the rain had
ceased—a real boisterous morning, when the sea waves would have rolled
in with a mighty roar, as though to sweep away the very rocks. The river
had swollen considerably and flowed strong and deep, as though on some
errand of weighty importance. The water was stained to a dull reddish
colour. It was out of the question for us to think of making an early
march, for the ground resembled a quagmire. We went to inspect the
nullah, to see whether it was possible to march along it; but further
on the river ran flush with the precipitous sides on either hand, and
soon disabused us of that idea.
About 2 o'clock we took a circuitous route over and round some hills,
hitting off the river again lower down. Yet we still had to keep on the
higher ground, crossing other troublesome nullahs and numerous hills,
following generally its course. We had got to that stage of hunger when
a little bird we saw became a victim to our guns. All at once a hare
sprang up, but the indefatigable Ruby was after her, and thus did us
out of a valuable supply. We struggled on with our loads on our backs,
straggling one behind the other, instead of maintaining a compact little
body as was our wont.
Still we were for ever on the look-out, when suddenly Esau, who was
blessed with a splendid eyesight, spotted away in the grassy hills a
moving black object, which we at once concluded must be a yak. While
Malcolm went off to slay this meat for our suppers, followed by two
of the men ready to bring in the food, I and the other two set about
pitching camp.
All were instilled with fresh hope, and we collected a heap of roots to
make a good fire to cook the meat over. But alas! we were all doomed to
disappointment, for this moving object proved to be a black bear, which
made off before Malcolm could even get near enough to fire at it. We
could do nothing more than reason that the sight of a bear indicated
that we must be nearer people. Besides, we had seen and shot little
birds, and even the common house fly had paid us a visit. Each day, too,
we had been gradually descending. With such arguments we believed that
help was close at hand, and were buoyed up in hopes of it.
The next morning, the 17th August, was dull and gloomy; and the men
were in the same state. They were probably feeling weak through want of
meat, for the last three days they had lived on nothing but tea, while
we had been regaled with Liebig and suchlike; still, in this we were
most parsimonious, for we feared we might even get to worse straits. So
careful were we that some of this was actually brought through China,
and handed over to a missionary. As I marched on ahead I came to some
sandy mounds, where I shot a very tiny hare, but in the grassy hills on
our right hand I spotted a kyang, which Malcolm went after, but failed
to get. Around and about were droppings both of yak and kyang, and we
decided to camp here until we had shot something.
It was amusing, indeed, to see the four men making a square meal off the
mite of a hare I had shot. Malcolm and I, leaving them to enjoy their
repast and repose, set out in different directions in search of game,
both breasting the steep range of hills which ran down to the river,
and at the foot of which we had encamped. I carried a gun, a rifle, a
knife, and some rope, and was lightly clad, so I was able to climb the
highest peaks and spy into the most likely places. Yet I could find no
game, though there were many tracks and many droppings.
I happened for a few moments to be taking shelter under a rock from
a storm of sleet, when I saw, sitting up below me, some huge marmots.
They were of an enormous size, as large as men. I could resist watching
them no longer, for even a marmot is good food when one is hungry. On
making my way to them some fine hares got up, and, thinking that the
game in sight was better than the marmots out of sight down below, I
killed a couple of them. This fusillade must have driven the monstrous
marmots home, for they never showed themselves again. The holes down
which they must have hidden were so large that I could have crawled down
them myself. The two hares I strung together, and began to make my way
homewards. On the way a third hare was added to my bag, and I rejoiced
to think how glad the men would be when they saw me coming, laden with
three fat hares, no light burden. Luckily, my way over the hills was all
downhill, still I was very glad when our little camp came into sight,
but was surprised that I could see nobody moving about, for I thought
they would have been on the look-out, and would have been watching for
my coming.
Good news was in store for me, and I soon learnt that Malcolm had
been even more successful, for he had shot a kyang. Two of the men had
gone off to bring in some of the meat, while the other two were making
preparations for a big fire and a big feast. In order to give the men a
chance of recovering themselves, we decided not to march the following
day until 1 o'clock. Luckily the night turned out bright and clear,
and we were able to take observations for latitude. Consequently, by
the time I lay down for the night the hour was late. As I found myself
falling asleep, I heard the mingled and indistinct murmuring of the
men's voices, merry amidst their frying and their stewing. They must
have presented a very different plight compared to their demeanour of
the last few evenings. They had been changed from a sad and despondent
crew into the happiest supper party in the world, only by means of a
little wild donkey's flesh.
Now, of course, their religious scruples as to whether the animal had
been hallaled or not, probably never entered their heads. Real hunger or
thirst will make men do a great many things which nothing else on earth
can. During all this time the three mules were gaining strength by the
rest and the excellent pasture land.
We were up the next morning at 7 o'clock with a strong west wind
blowing. We set about collecting onions for our breakfast, for one
has no inclination to lie long in bed which is represented by mother
earth. The morning was spent in feasting by the men, and in mapping by
ourselves. We calculated we had just crossed the ninety-second degree
of longitude, and found our latitude to be 35° 11'. We discovered that
if we wished to follow the river any further, we should have to cross
to the other bank, for it was impossible, with the precipitous hills,
to march any longer along the right bank on which we were.
The river flowed thigh deep with a swift current, and was thirty yards
broad. Nevertheless, by carefully choosing the easiest crossing, and
by loading the three mules lightly, with only half the baggage at
a time, we managed, by making the double journey, to get the mules,
ourselves, and our baggage over without any mishap. This was rather a
long business, but once all on the other bank, we had soon loaded up the
three mules again, and continued the descent, still following the river,
all in good spirits. Towards evening we halted close to where another
stream from the north joined the river we were following, and knew it
would be in store for us to cross the next morning. We were struck by
the appearance of the splendid green grass that grew on the hillsides,
and the whole country in general seemed to be improving for the better.
It looked as though we had completely come to the end of bleak regions
and salt lakes, and that each day, as we should continue our gradual
descent, even a more pleasing country was in store for us.