Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 708

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Travels of M. Huc.

DEC.

abandoned in the desert while still alive. This may appear exagge- rated, but it is not necessarily so. Life is less regarded in the East than in civilized countries; and in far less severe climates thau that of Tibet, a winter journey is often accompanied with a great loss of life.

At the foot of the Tant-la mountains, the fragment of the caravau, consisting in all of eighteen persons, to which the missionaries had at- tached themselves, on the breaking up of the main body, was visited by the redoubtable Kolos, who, however, committed no depredations. M. Gabet was at this time very ill, and, according to M. Huc, half frozen! The

The passage of the mountains, which lasted twelve days, and was cheered by a warm sun shining on snow and rock, proved bene- ficial to him.

Beyond the Tant-la chain the soil gradually lowered to H’lassa, and the snows gave way to a fresh and abundant verdure. The Kolos were also succeeded by hospitable pastoral races. At length they ar- rived at a large Tibetan village on the Kara-ussu

or "black water river," of the Mongols.* At this station the mis- sionaries sold their camels, which had suffered severely from the long journey-one having also been accidentally burnt-for six oxen, animals better adapted for the stony districts which still lay between them and Il'lassa.

They also changed their company for that of a party of Kartchin Mongols, who were conducting a Chaberon, that is to say, a living Budha, to the "Eternal Sanctuary." This Chaberon was barely eigh- teen years of age, of a happy, lively disposition, and he seemed to view the character forced upon him as one of extreme unpleasantness. He would much rather have laughed and galloped about at his ease, than have rode in stiff dignity between two grave attendants, who never quitted his side.

As the traveler approaches to within a few days' journey of H'la- ssa, houses begin to take the place of black tents, and agriculture succeeds to pastoral life. At a place called Pampu, written incorrect- ly in the maps Panctou, the oxen were exchanged for asses, for there was still a very rugged mountain to cross before arriving at H'lassa; and at length descending on the other side of this rocky chain, they came in sight of the metropolis of the Budhist world. Great white houses, terminating in platforms, surmounted by towers, numberless temples with golden roofs, and, rising above all, the vast palace of the

*[The R. Kara-ussu is the head stream of the Salween R., which disembo- gues at Maulmein. Its entire length is probably over 1600 miles.]