CHAPTER I.

ARRIVAL AT LEH, ON THE INDUS-PREPARATIONS FOR THE ONWARD JOURNEY-HEMIS MONASTERY-MASQUERADE AND BURLESQUE BY THE LAMAS-BUDHIST PRIESTHOOD-POLO-DANCING MEN AND WOMEN-CORDIAL CO-OPERATION OF KASHMIR AUTHORITIES DEPARTURE FROM LEH-BAGGAGE AND RIDING YAKS-EUROPEAN GOVERNORS OF LADAK-CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TARTARS-SHYOK AND NUBRA VALLEYS-PACK-HORSES ON KARAKORAM JOURNEY-DRAS AND KURGIL PONIES-YAKS AND "ZOS"-POTATO CULTIVATION IN SHYOK VALLEY.

on, taking the eastern route by the Pangong Lake, and over the Lingzi Thang plains, with instructions to join the Mission headquarters at Shahidulla, on the frontier of Yarkand.

The final arrangements for the long journey to the almost unknown land of Eastern Turkistan were made at Leh. Here the camp-followers were again inspected, and the horses, ponies, and travelling equipments finally examined as to fitness for continued severe work and exposure. The departure of the Mission had been unavoidably delayed considerably beyond the favourable time originally fixed, and provision had to be made for meeting the greater cold of the later season. Full-length 26

B

sheep-skin coats, with felt stockings and coverlets, were issued to every man, to supplement the liberal supply of warm clothing previously given, and extra felt-lined blankets were also prepared for the riding and baggage-train animals. The result proved the sound economy of these careful precautions, the Mission reaching Yarkand with its establishment and baggage-train in perfect working order. Great extremes of heat and cold were felt during the journey, the thermometer in the course of three months ranging from over 100° in tents at Rawal Pindi, in the Punjab, where the camp was formed in July, to 25° below zero, as experienced by Captain Biddulph's party in October, shortly before reaching Shahidulla.

Captain Trotter and Dr. Stoliczka accompanied Captain Biddulph in advance; while Dr. Bellew, C.S.I., Captain Chapman, and myself, proceeded with the Envoy, Mr. (now Sir) Douglas Forsyth, C.B.*

Eight days were occupied at Leh in making the necessary further preparations for the journey across the Karakoram. Advantage was taken of the halt to visit the Budhist Monastery of Hemis, which enjoys a high reputation in Ladak for its wealth and sanctity. Hemis is twenty-five miles from Leh, on the south bank of the Indus. This monastery was first built in 1635 by Takchan Ralpha, a Lama, brother of the Ladak Raja Singa Namgyel, and was enlarged by Galtais Lama in 1793. During the first invasion and conquest of Ladak by Zorawur Sing in 1834-35, the monasteries escaped plunder. After the destruction of Zorawur Sing's army by the Chinese, in 1841,

the Ladakis for a short time entertained the hope of entirely shaking off the Dogra yoke. This hope was quickly extinguished by the advance into Ladak of a fresh army under Dewan Hurrí Chund and Wuzír Lakpat Rai, on which occasion the monasteries were less fortunate. Hemis alone escaped being plundered, in consequence of the Head Lama tendering early submission to Hurrí Chund, and promising to feed the whole Dogra army for six months. The agreement was faithfully carried out; and, though the other monasteries have never recovered the losses they then experienced, Hemis has been able to retain some of its ancient glories and reputation.

The form of Budhism now obtaining in Tibet has altered somewhat since its first introduction, and differs considerably from what may be regarded as the purer form practised in Ceylon and Burma. Budhism was first introduced into Tibet in the third century B.c., by Sakya Thubba, who inculcated merely a mystical belief in the Supreme Budha. Lamaism, with its monasteries and prayer-wheels, was founded later by Urgyan Padma, a successor of Sakya Thubba, when considerable changes were made in the importance attached to forms and ceremonies, and the superior sanctity of Lamas. Later on, a reformer known as Tson Khappa appeared, who founded the sect of Gelukpa "the virtuous," and strove to bring back Budhism to its purer and simpler form. In course of time it was found that the precepts enjoined were too rigorous for frail humanity, and the sect of Kahguitpa, "believers in the succession of precepts," was founded. These now form the two sects into which Lamas are divided, but have many minor subdivisions that take their names from some celebrated monastery, retaining the distinctions of dress and tenets of the great sects