The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
Remarkable Endurance of Natives
shown in Pursuit and Capture
of UnruIy Yaks.
CONGLOMERATE POPULATION
PRIMITIVE WAY OF PREPARING
SALT FOR COMMERCIAL USE.
The Chief JOY of the Thibetan Is Eat
ing, and He Believes the Pleasure
viii Be His i'm Heaven.
I'Among the Farthest People" Copyright by
c J. Reid1

| ["Among the Farthest People Copyright by
W. {. j. Reid.l
| Tho sloping plain which we had been
| crossing for nearly the entire distance from
| Gajum came to an end when we resumed
| our journey on the morning of the four
| teenth and almost Immediately detached
mountain ranges shot up to the northwest.
| These were generally of low elevation,
| some not over two or three hundred feet
and the higher ones less than fifteen hun
dred feet. clothed half way up to their sum-
mits with a meagre growth of poplar and
a species of dwarfed pine, the narrow val
| legs at their base sheltered several small
areas of short grass. of almost as vivid
greeness as an English meadow. Snow lay
for considerable depth on the north face
of the mountains. but on the southern and
sheltered side there were only small
patches two or three inches in depth which
was soon melted by the heat OF the sun.
| The contrast, to say the least, was start
| ling. for at one moment the eye rested on
a prospect monotonously bleak and re-
| Polling and the next wandered over an
apparently temperate vale of inexpressible
loneliness, forming one of those peaceful
to delight in painting at time. We were all
the more surprised when during the entire
days march we were unable to discover
any signs of human habitation in the vi
cinity, the gloom and solitude unbroken
save for the muffied rush and roar of thin
| streams of melted snow cascading down
the mountain sides, or the momentary ap-
| pearance of some solitary wild sheep or
| djeran on the most inaccessible heights.
About 8 o'clock a violent wind-storm
arose. and as we were crossing an elevated
| plain at the time we were exposed to its
full fury The sun still shone brightly, and
there was an absence of snow or rain, but
it was almost impossible to make further
| progress, owing to the singing clouds of
sand and finely powdered granite blown
into our faces, which cut the skin like a
sharp knife and rendered breathing ex-
tremely diffcult Initiating the example set
by the Tanguts we took pieces of cloth. and
cutting small holes to see through found
that this improvised sort of mask rendered
travelling less arduous.
| WONDERFUL SCENERY.
AS we advanced northeastward the ele
walton gradually increased and the valley
grew more barren. the small glaciers of
ing brilliantly beneath the sun like polished
glass and rejecting the most vivid hues
as if some gorgeous rainbow had been
seized while lowering over their cloud
bathed pinnaces and suddenly CONCEALED
into a gigantic opal. 1 have few
prospects more majestic and more inspiring
than this great mountain region south of
| the Oring-Nor, bleak and sterile enough
looking in its rudely jumbled disarray and
unutterable confusion, but possessing a
certain forbidden majesty of contour, en-
livened by magnificent panoramas con-
| Stantly unfolding TO view, bringing into
| sharper relief the sterner outlines of the
black and jagged SUBMITS which, far from
detractng from the scene seem to stamp
it with the grandeur of aged magnifcence.
As the sun descended, the shadows deep
ened, rising like a regnant concourse of
glttering, gold-tinted crowns in the great
azure bowl of the sky, a host of shadows
creeping into the ragged gaps, routing out
stray sunbeams and driving them before
| the teeth of the wind to swell the golden
distances of the valley below
We pushed on for several hours after sun
set, constantly descending, as we had now
passed the higher parts of the intervening
range. from the highest elevation of which,
| during the afternoon, we had been able to
catch furtive glimpses of the gstening
| bed of the Oring-Nor. The caravan road
was here more broad and open, and had
the yaks been fresh we should have pushed
over the remaining distance that night.
To this decision the Tanguts strove to in
huence US, as they were anxious for the
completion of the Journey so that they
might return TO Gajum, and were exceed
ingly angry when l decided to halt over
until the morrow. with characteristic blus-
ter announcing their determination not to
proceed a step further, and uttering vague
hints at possible deserton. In their sudden
choler at our opposition to their wishes
they had forgotten that they would not re-
ceive payment for their services until the
journeys end chat the intensely sordid
and avaricious nature of the Tangut should
make this omission is remarkably, and
when we drew this fact TO their notice and
expressed our entire willingness that they
should desert II they thought fit the sudden
change in their demeanor from insulting
hostility to servile courtesy was Iudicrous
We soon saw that we had acted wisely in
encamping for the night rather than push
ing on, for, with that suddenness common
I to mountain regions, about o'clock heavy
| clouds swept over the mountains, accom-
panied by a piercing wind. and soon dis.
charged both squat and gale. The sleet
freezing as il FELL covered the road AND
surrounding objects with a thin glare OF
ice. over which ii would have been impos.
2 sible for the yaks to travel without dan.
ger of breaking their legs. In our sheltered
position we escaped most OF its fury. al
though the tents were blown down severa
times during the night, and the melted
snow. coursing in tiny rivulets down III.
! steep incline, involved US in water,
I chaos. But we could bear up under these
! annoyances with equanimity when we con
sidered the danger we had escaped by no
being obliged to Withstand its full fury OF
the unprotected plain.
ENDURANCE OF TANGUTS.
We had some difficulty in getting ava,
, In the morning, several Of the yak,
, broke loose from their tethers during tn
night and wandered out on to the plain
and rightfully deciding that they ha,
earned holiday showed a decided aversion
TO returning TO their accustomed labors
, The Tanguts. prompted more by desir
: to complete the journey than by friendl,
and charitable thoughts to be OF assistance