󠀱󠀶XVꓸ At the Gates of Tibet The Detention at Chu-Na-Khe and the Peril of the Caravan - blame None

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# George Roerich. Trails to the Inmost Asia

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## XV. At the Gates of Tibet The Detention at Chu-Na-Khe and the Peril of the Caravan

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**October 13 — 19, 1927**

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The General departed and the great camp lay deserted. Most of the Hor-pa tribesmen who

were in attendance on the High Commissioner returned to their pastures. Only the headmen

of the five Hor tribes of the region and the Major, Sö-nam Thop-jyel, with a detachment

of soldiers remained in camp to attend us and spy upon our movements. A guard of militia

was stationed in our camp and our servants and caravaneers were forbidden to speak to

strangers. The militiamen, unkempt fellows in dirty sheepskins, sat continuously outside

the tents and watched every movement. The headman in charge of the militia post was an

agreeable man, of pleasant manner, and tried his best to assist us. He had the

appearance of a south-European with an aquiline nose and long straight hair. He wore a

coat of purple *puru* and a charm box of silver. According to him, the northern

Tibetan frontier had been closed since last year.

The route from Nag-chu to Lhasa was strictly guarded by military posts, who stopped and

searched harmless pilgrims from Mongolia and the Chinese border, and only Tsaidam

Mongols were permitted to move about freely. The country was agitated by rumors that the

Tashi Lama was approaching with a mighty host of Chinese and Mongol troops.

The Major, Sö-nam Thop-jyel, paid us an official visit and inquired about our needs. He

told us he was confident that an answer from the Government of Lhasa would be received

soon and that we should be allowed to cross the territory of inner Tibet. He had many

stories to tell about his military adventures. He had received his rank during the

Sino-Tibetan war of 1918 and was present at the siege of Ri-wo-che and Chamdo. He had

met the Chinese commandant of the Chamdo fortress, General P'eng, and even

remembered having seen our old Chinese interpreter, Ts'ai, who was taken prisoner at

Ri-wo-che. The Major advised us to send all our animals to pastures with good grass,

situated some eight miles northwest of Chu-na-khe. He promised to send four men to guard

our horses and mules. As no fodder was available and the supply of grain was very scant,

we were forced to agree, much against our will. Many of the animals never returned to

the camp and perished from exposure and want of fodder. We received only their tails,

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which were brought back to our camp as proofs that the animals had died.

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**October 20, 1927**

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October 20, 1927. A warm night was followed by a cold day with a piercing wind from the

northwest. The Tibetan winter was approaching. The temperature dropped and the

thermometer registered -5°C. A mounted messenger arrived toward evening and brought a

letter from the Joint-Governors of Nag-chu. The Governors informed us that so far no

reply or instructions had been received from Lhasa and requested us not to move from

Chu-na-khe until a government reply had been received by them.

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**October 21, 1927**

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October 21, 1927. Again a quiet day. Mrs. Roerich was ill with a cold and had to remain

in bed. The Major sent us word that a new messenger had been sent to Nag-chu with a

letter.

In the evening heavy, gray clouds rolled up from the southwest and light snow fell in

the early morning. The headman on duty in our camp advised us to move the camp to

Sharugön, a Bön-po monastery some four miles distant from Chu-na-khe. We were unable to

follow his advice immediately because of Mrs. Roerich's health, and the assurance of

the Major that an answer from the Government or *De-wa-shung* (*sDe-pa gshung*) would be received in a few days.

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**October 22, 1927**

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Next day, heavy snow covered the ground and the surrounding hills and deprived the

animals of the much-needed grass. Thunder roared in the mountains, as if summer were

resisting the advance of the winter. The early fall of snow alarmed the Tibetans, and

the Major dispatched a special mounted messenger to a well-known Tantric lama, asking

him to stop the snow for several days, during which period he expected to receive the

answer from Lhasa.

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**October 23, 1927**

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October 23, 1927. The day was mild, and happily for us there was no piercing wind. As

there was no hope of moving quickly, we decided to improve our camp as much as possible

and protect ourselves from the approaching winter days. The situation of the camp was

bad and something had to be done to improve it. Chu-na-khe is a depression situated at

an altitude of 15,500 feet and sheltered on every side by low, grassy hills on which

herds of domestic yaks and flocks of sheep graze during the summer months. To the south

of the depression lay the col of Tasang La. On the southern edge of the depression stood

a high *stupa* or *chorten* and the place was sometimes called

Chorten-thang, "The Plain of the Stupa" or Chorten kar-po, "The White

Stupa." Under this last name the place was known to Tsaidam Mongols.

North of us lay the Tibetan camp, where the Major stayed with his soldiery and the Hor

headmen. The depression was watered by a small rivulet that rises on the northern slopes

of the Ta-sang La and then flows eastward. The depression of Chu-na-khe is exposed to

all winds and the southwest wind was sometimes of such violence that it was impossible

to stand outside the tent. To make our summer tents warmer, we covered them with felts

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taken from the camel packsaddles. The baggage of the expedition was piled up in one heap

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in the center of the camp and a Hor-pa was supposed to guard it during the night.

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The Major paid us his daily visit and we told him our intention to negotiate with the

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Joint-Governors of Nag-chu for permission to visit Nag-chu and continue our negotiations

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with the Tibetan Government from there. Winter was rapidly setting in and if the matter

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was indefinitely delayed, we would have to face a grave and dangerous situation. The

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Major told us that he was unable to give us permission himself, but offered to send one

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of our men and one soldier to Nag-chu to buy supplies for the expedition. According to

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him, a controversy had developed between the Hor High Commissioner and the

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Joint-Governors of Nag-chu and that the Nag-chu officials had refused to give us any

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assistance. "The Hor High Commissioner received you and it is for him to help you

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out of your difficulties. We are civil officials and have no right to interfere with the

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orders of the military authorities." It was difficult to find the cause for such an

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attitude. Something very important was going on, and although the Major professed to be

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cut off from Lhasa or the High Commissioner by snowdrifts that had rendered the passes

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dangerous, he often received messages and we frequently heard the jingling of bells on

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the horses of passing dispatch riders.

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Late in the evening some of our Mongols and Tibetans obtained barley wine from the

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Tibetan camp and got drunk. A fight followed and we were forced to restore order by

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arresting the men and imposing a heavy fine. People are easily irritated at high

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altitudes and it was very difficult to maintain strict discipline among the men because

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of the demoralizing proximity to the Major's camp with all its attractions of wine

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and Indian cigarettes, sold secretly by the soldiery against the strict orders of His

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Holiness the Dalai Lama.

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**October 24, 1927**

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October 24, 1927. Heavy snow fell during the night and we were awakened by the noise

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made by our Mongols who were clearing the tents of snow and making footpaths in the

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camp. Unless we succeeded in getting a sufficient supply of grain from Nag-chu, the

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condition of our caravan animals would become critical. The Major came to make a list of

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all our requirements and read us his letter to the Joint-Governors of Nag-chu. According

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to him the delay was caused by the fact that the Nag-chu officials had received a severe

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reprimand from the Government for letting in strangers who had come ahead of us. He

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advised us to send some present to the Joint-Governors, for this would make them

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friendly. We accordingly wrote a letter to the Joint-Governors and told them about our

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position, Mrs. Roerich's health, and of our firm intention to reach India by the

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shortest route. The letter was sent with a present of a silver table set and a pair of

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field glasses.

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Strong southwest winds and heavy clouds prevented the melting of the snow and great

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anxiety was felt for our animals, which were reported to be weakening as the result of

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several days of snowdrifts.

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**October 25, 1927**

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October 25, 1927. A thick mist shrouded the surrounding hills and snow fell until

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midday, when the weather cleared a little. Large herds of domestic yaks passed our camp.

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They all go northward from Nag-chu-ka, in search of better grazing. The snowfall in

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Nag-chu and on the Shang-shung Mountains was said to be particularly heavy this year and

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the population was hastily moving their encampments and herds to the Thang La region,

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where the ground was still free from snow.

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**October 26, 1927**

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October 26, 1927. A steady southwest wind drew away all the clouds and mist that hid the

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mountains and we were glad to have a sunny day to dry our tents. Wet snow and piercing

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wind are very trying at high altitudes. The cold, damp air penetrated the tents and made

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conditions miserable. Many of the members of the expedition were already suffering from

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colds and our doctor predicted difficult times to come. The camp servants were careless

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at night and many of them were beginning also to contract colds.

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One of our Mongols in charge of our caravan animals, returned to camp and reported that

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one camel had died and that the horses and mules were in bad condition. It is advisable

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to take to Tibet only young camels with strong teeth, for aged camels with worn-out

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teeth are unable to eat the short, coarse grass of the Tibetan upland.

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**October 27, 1927**

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October 27, 1927. The day was again sunny but bitterly cold, the thermometer registering

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-20°C. Late in the afternoon a messenger from Nag-chu arrived with a letter from the

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Joint-Governors, addressed personally to Professor Roerich. The Joint-Governors, who are

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commonly known under the compound name of Nag-chu khän-nang-nyi, thanked us for the

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presents and informed us that they expected an answer from the Government soon. They had

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not written to the Government themselves, for our case was taken up by the Hor High

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Commissioner, who was responsible for the delay.

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**October 28 — 30, 1927**

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October 28, 1927. Heavy clouds rolled up during the night and the morning was cold and

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misty. Chu-na-khe presented a dismal picture with its white shroud of snow and the

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mournful black tents of the Tibetan camp. The nomad encampments deserted the place and

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it was almost impossible to find sufficient supplies of fuel and fodder. The Major

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arrived with his soldiers and brought provisions from Nag-chu. We had to pay exorbitant

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prices for everything. We succeeded in obtaining four bags of Chinese flour, one bag of

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dirty sugar and several packages of candles. We sent a letter addressed personally to

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His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. The letter was written in English for we knew that the

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Dalai Lama had a Private Secretary with a good knowledge of English who had once been a

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clerk in a Darjeeling bank.

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The next day was again cold with southwest wind and occasional snow. During the night

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several wolves tried to approach our camp but were driven off by our dogs. In the

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morning a horse belonging to one of the militiamen was found devoured by wolves. We

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applied for permission to fire on the wolves but the Major informed us that this was

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against the laws of Tibet where shooting was strictly forbidden.

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Packs of hungry dogs roamed the vicinity and occasionally attacked men. We ordered the

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militia to drive off the dogs with stones, but stone throwing had very little effect on

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them. It was becoming hazardous to leave camp, so we informed the Tibetan Major that we

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would be obliged to scatter the packs of dogs with our rifle fire, but the Tibetan

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answered that this was against Tibetan customs and that it was considered sinful. He

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advised us to use swords as the natives do. We followed his suggestion and were careful

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to carry Tibetan swords when going out of camp.

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Another nuisance was the ravens that swarmed around the camp. Their impertinence was so

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great that they stole food from the kitchen tent and sometimes even carried away

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teacups. The huge birds were feeding on dead carcasses left by passing caravans.

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Golubin went to inspect our caravan animals and found them in a deplorable condition. A

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horse, a mule, and one camel had perished and six more were reported to be near their

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end. The weathered grass was quite insufficient and the supply of grain was too small to

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give adequate rations to the animals. A horse or a mule received only about two pounds

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daily. The camels were not accustomed to eat grain and were rapidly losing their

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strength. We asked the Major for permission to sell some of the animals. But he replied

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that he could not allow us to sell them until the Government had sent an answer. The

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answer was not forthcoming and the situation was assuming a grave aspect. The health of

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several members of our expedition was beginning to give considerable anxiety. Many

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complained of heart trouble. We were short of warm clothing and had to buy felts and

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sheepskins to make winter coats and winter boots.

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For the first time in twenty-two days, we saw a tea caravan on yaks coming from

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Szu-ch'uan. It belonged to a wealthy lama, who himself accompanied his caravan,

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riding on a diminutive black pony. He was greatly surprised to see a European camp and

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stood and watched us for a long time until one of the militia ordered him to move away.

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For the past four years the Tibetan trade with Mongolia and western China has greatly

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diminished. The caravans and pilgrims from Mongolia were coming only in small numbers

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and the number of traders from Sining was insignificant. Since the Chinese Civil War,

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traders prefer the sea route of Calcutta-Shanghai. The old caravan routes connecting

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Tibet with inner China and Mongolia are losing their importance and Kalimpong and

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Calcutta are Tibet's only outlet to the outer world. Autumn is the season for camel

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caravans from Mongolia. In former years the routes were thronged but now they lie almost

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completely deserted. We did not meet any caravans while traversing the Tibetan upland

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and only a small number of caravans passed our camp at Chu-na-khe.

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**October 31, 1927**

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October 31, 1927. Again a sunny day. The morning was bitterly cold and columns of smoke

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rose from every tent in the Tibetan camp. The thermometer registered -25°C. The Major

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made his daily visit and brought thirty-two pounds of butter sewn into a yak hide, which

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cost twelve *ngü-sangs*, and several locally made felts of a very inferior

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quality. We also bought two yaks for thirteen Mexican dollars. The Major informed us

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that he had received word from a famous Tantric lama, that according to the lama's

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divination, the government reply would be received in four or five days.

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**November 1 — 3, 1927**

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The next day was warm with a bright sun and a cloudless sky. The hard, frozen snow began

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to melt under the warm rays of the sun and large pools of water stood about the camp. In

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the early morning a large caravan of camels passed northward. Our Mongol cameleers went

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out to speak to the travelers but were prevented by the militiamen. The Mongols became

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terribly excited and complained to us against this infringement on their personal

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liberty. I had a heated argument with the head of the militia post, as the result of

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which our Mongols were finally permitted to go to meet the passing caravan.

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The caravan consisted of Tsaidam and Khalkha Mongols *en route* for their native

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lands. An Alashan Mongol Prince was traveling with the caravan and he gave our Mongols

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some interesting information on our predicament and the attitude of Tibetan authorities

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toward us. He told us that the authorities were unable to decide whether we should be

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allowed to proceed farther or ordered to return and that the Government of Lhasa was

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waiting for more information. The Tibetans were greatly alarmed for someone had spread

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the rumor that we were a large body of Mongol cavalry. Troops were rushed to the border

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and the Government even dispatched several mounted guns to check our advance. According

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to the Prince, all Mongols contemplated leaving Lhasa, where authorities were oppressing

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the Mongol colony. The Hor headmen had told our men that they could not understand the

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policy of the Lhasa Government and that our forced stay in Chu-na-khe was a great

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calamity to the local nomad population which had to supply us with fuel and food and

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maintain a large body of men and horses; all the money received from us for the supplies

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was taken by the Major and that very little was left for them. Whether true or not,

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their words were significant and showed that our detention was not caused by local

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authorities and conditions, but was ordered by higher authorities in the Government. At

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a meeting of all the members of the expedition, we decided to send a new request to the

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Joint-Governors of Nag-chu and ask them to transmit telegrams by wire from Lhasa to the

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United States and to Colonel F. M. Bailey, the British Political Officer in Sikkim. The

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position of the caravan was becoming desperate. Daily a horse or mule was found dying.

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Packs of hungry dogs infested the neighborhood and large flocks of ravens circled around

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the camp. The poor caravan animals were given only one pound of grain a day and no grass

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whatsoever. At night the hungry animals wandered about the camp and we observed a

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peculiarity of horses and mules. When about to die, the animals would invariably try to

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enter the tents, as if searching for a more sheltered place. In the morning we often

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found horses and mules dead and our Mongols, greatly attached to the animals, complained

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violently against the attitude of the Tibetan authorities.

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In the afternoon emissaries from Nag-chu arrived, a headman and an inspector of the

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relay service along the routes. They brought a letter from the Joint-Governors of

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Nag-chu, in which the Governors wrote that they were returning our presents for they

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could do nothing for us so far, and that the whole affair did not concern them, but the

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Hor High Commissioner. They presented us with one bag of rice and three bags of horse

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food. The envoys told us that a letter from Lhasa bearing the seal of the

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*Yik-tshang* or the Ministry of Court, and addressed to Kusho Kapshöpa passed

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Nag-chu four days ago. According to the same men, a letter from the High Commissioner

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was expected to reach Chu-na-khe in four or five days. They also informed us that Dr.

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Filchner and his party consisting of two missionaries, had left Nag-chu for Ladak, and

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that they would be traveling by way of Nam-ru and Nag-tshang. While in Tibetan

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territory, they would be accompanied by Tibetan local officials. The Nag-chu headman

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said that it was difficult to obtain a sufficient number of pack yaks. We sent a letter

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to the Joint-Governors with the emissaries, and a wire to be transmitted to Lhasa and

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then to India.

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**November 4, 1927**

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November 4, 1927. A fine morning with a slight wind from the southwest which brought

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clouds. In the afternoon there was again snow and mist. The Nag-chu officials refused at

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first to take our letter and telegram, for they feared to get into trouble for

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transmitting a message from a foreigner. In Tibet no one dares to transmit a message

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given by a foreigner unless he is authorized to do so by the Government. Officials who

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had received a written message from a foreigner would carefully conceal the fact. Others

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would never accept a letter, and when handed one, would drop it on the floor, to

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demonstrate their refusal. The ban on foreigners and the necessity of continuous spying

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upon suspicious individuals or disguised foreigners, made the country folk extremely

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suspicious. According to the laws of Tibet, every man meeting a foreigner on the

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territory of Tibet is compelled to report to the nearest governmental official or

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militia post.

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The rate of exchange of Chinese dollars was improving and we received sixteen

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*shos* and five *karmas*, that is, one *ngü-sang*, six

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*shos* and five *karmas* for one silver dollar. During this season of the

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year, Mongol pilgrims and Tibetan traders were returning to Sining and Tsaidam and there

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was a growing demand for Chinese silver currency.

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**November 5, 1927**

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November 5, 1927. Heavy snow fell during the night and in the morning the camp was

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buried under several feet of snow. The tents had to be excavated as they were covered so

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completely that several of them looked like snow mounds. Our poor camels were lying

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outside the camp. Some of the stronger ones rose and tried to shake the snow from their

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bodies. Many never rose again and froze to death with their long necks stretched out on

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the ground. It was a pitiful sight and our Mongol cameleers sternly remarked:

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"Tibet is said to be the country of the Burkhan, and compassion is said to be the

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chief virtue in the sacred scriptures, but the Tibetan Burkhan has no compassion toward

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living creatures." According to our cameleers, many of whom were lamas, pilgrims

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from Tsaidam were not making the dangerous pilgrimage to Tibet, which in most cases

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completely ruined them. At present most of the pilgrims from Tsaidam and inner Mongolia

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went to Peking or Wu-t'ai Shan to pray to the Panchen Lama and very few penetrated

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as far as Lhasa.

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Our camp was visited by a Tsaidam Mongol from Mahai who was traveling from Lhasa and

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carried a letter from the Dalai Lama to the Mongol Prince of Kurluk. The man was

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traveling with his wife and children and had two camels. He was very eager to buy some

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of our camels, for his own animals were worn out by the journey from Lhasa. The

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militiamen objected to his coming into our camp, but we ordered them to keep to their

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tent. They had no right to stop visitors coming to our camp, for according to the words

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of the High Commissioner we were guests of the Tibetan Government and not prisoners.

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Some of our cameleers, who had their own camels, asked for permission to send them back

364

to Tsaidam, but the Major refused, for according to him neither men nor animals were

365

permitted to leave our camp before an answer from the Government had reached the place.

366

Our Mongols insisted on their right to do so and returned to our camp with a complaint

367

against the Major. We at once sent him a letter, asking for an explanation of his

368

action, and requesting him to issue without any further delay the required permit. The

369

stern wording of our letter had the desired effect and our Mongols were permitted to

370

hand over their camels to the man.

371

372

The Mongol told us that it was extremely difficult to reach Lhasa at present. Great

373

numbers of troops were stationed along the route and two mountain guns had recently been

374

acquired by the Government. It was the same story which we had already heard from

375

passing caravans. Five large caravans of Mongols were for some unknown reason detained

376

at Nag-chu and the caravan animals had nothing to eat, because of exceptionally heavy

377

snowfalls.

378

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**November 6, 1927**

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383

November 6, 1927. Snow continued to fall during the night and the following day. We all

384

had to keep to our tents. Everyone was tired of the terrible frost that was beginning to

385

exhaust our strength. To keep one's self warm inside a tent at such high altitudes

386

was almost beyond possibility. To have fires burning in all the tents was impossible for

387

we received only a very limited supply of argal each day and the quantity was barely

388

sufficient for our kitchen and the kitchen of our Mongols. We had to keep ourselves warm

389

by walking up and down the camp along a footpath specially made for this purpose. After

390

sitting for half an hour in a tent, one had to go out again and walk to get warm, and

391

that continued during the whole day. In order to keep our feet warm, we made extra boots

392

of felt from the camel packsaddles of animals which had died.

393

394

The next day one of our Torguts arrived at our camp and reported that the horses and

395

mules were suffering terrible agony. The scant grass on the pasture was covered by

396

several feet of snow and the local guards were unable to clear it away. The fine, big

397

mule from Su-chou and one horse had perished during the night and another mule was left

398

dying. The Major paid us a visit and brought ten small bags of grain for our horses and

399

one bag of *tsam-pa* for the expedition personnel. These provisions were

400

collected with great difficulty from the local population, which was short of grain and

401

other supplies. We again asked the Major to permit us to sell our animals to traders and

402

pilgrims at Nag-chu but he made the same reply that he had no power to do so without

403

permission from the Government, which had forbidden him to allow us to trade with local

404

people. We were supposed to receive our rations from the Government. The Major told us

405

an amusing story which showed well the mental attitude of the Tibetan authorities. The

406

expedition had brought from Su-chou one rooster and two hens. The fowls were fed on

407

grain, but as we needed all the available grain for our animals, we presented them to

408

the Major. The disappearance of the birds from our camp was quickly noticed and somehow

409

reported to the Joint-Governors of Nag-chu. The Major had addressed a letter to the

410

Joint-Governors saying that according to his observations we were religious people

411

abstaining from killing animals. To this he received the reply, that his statement was

412

not correct as we had apparently eaten the rooster and the two hens, which according to

413

their private information, had disappeared from our camp. The Major was so excited by

414

this false implication that he sent another letter, informing the Joint-Governors that

415

the rooster and hens were given to him and were now in his custody. The wind howled on

416

the passes and half-frozen messengers were forging ahead through the snow, carrying

417

letters about a rooster and two hens that had disappeared from the strangers' camp!

418

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**November 7, 1927**

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November 7, 1927. A bitterly cold day, the thermometer registering -35°C. A steady

424

southwest wind penetrated the tents and made their interiors icy and unbearable. We were

425

forced to stay outside or in the kitchen tent, warming ourselves at the fire.

426

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**November 8, 1927**

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431

The next day was cold and sunny. Again no messenger from Lhasa. It seemed hopeless to

432

wait for an answer from a Government which had decided to starve the whole caravan, men

433

and animals. The local nomads were tired of supplying us with fuel and food. Their

434

encampments were far away and snow made it difficult to bring provisions to Chu-na-khe.

435

The headmen informed us that they intended to wait for an answer five days more, and if

436

none was received they would be obliged to escort us to Byi-ru gompa, where the High

437

Commissioner had his winter quarters.

438

439

The cold increased and the thermometer registered -40°C. before sunrise. The doctor

440

notified the Major that several of our men were suffering from bad colds, which could

441

easily develop into pneumonia, if we had to stay longer at these altitudes. Many of us

442

complained of our hearts and were given stimulants. Some of the Mongols had swollen and

443

disfigured faces and limbs, and could hardly move. Our lamas were murmuring prayers and

444

burning incense. Several of them were in a serious condition and succumbed to the

445

hardships. Lhasa was no longer an attraction to them and they spoke of returning to

446

Tsaidam and Kumbum. They remembered old prophecies, in which it was said that with the

447

departure of the Tashi Lama religion would disappear from Tibet and only a shell would

448

remain. Men were becoming irritable, and fights occurred often. This day a soldier came

449

to our camp and gave an order to one of our militiamen, who was slow to execute it and

450

the infuriated soldier seized a huge stone and struck the poor Hor-pa on the head. The

451

man dropped to the ground and the soldier prepared to deliver another blow. Our

452

intervention stopped the fight and the soldier was ordered out of camp. The wounded

453

Hor-pa had to be carried to his tent and treated by our doctor. When the doctor and I

454

entered the tent to apply a bandage to the man's head, the headman in charge of the

455

post exclaimed, "Such is the treatment accorded by the *De-wa-shung* to

456

their subjects! Sin be on them!"

457

458

The soldiers were perpetually drunk and spent the entire day gambling. The uplifting

459

examples of Je-tsün Mila and the fiery striving of the great religious reformers of the

460

eighth to fourteenth centuries were irrevocably forgotten by indolent posterity.

461

Nowadays the most learned lamas of the Tibetan lamaseries all come from Mongolia, Derge,

462

and Kham. The people of Lhasa admit their indolence and this fact has already been

463

noticed by Sir Charles Bell in his recent book. Conversing one day with a learned

464

Tibetan *gelong*, he said to me: "You wish to find learned monks and true

465

religion. Why go to Lhasa? Lhasa is a mere trading center, where religion became a

466

lucrative trade. Go to the mountains, and in the wilderness you will find lamas learned

467

in the precepts of the Blessed One."

468

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**November 9, 1927**

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473

November 9, 1927. Again a cold day, full of eternal expectation of an answer from Lhasa.

474

Tibet is going through the same evolution that brought the end of old China. The

475

antiquated Manchu order became an unnecessary survival. Most of the young generation who

476

have visited India with her modern trends, are already fired with a desire to build

477

their lives on a new basis and bring about great changes in the antiquated order of

478

things.

479

480

A caravan of Mongols, servants of the Kurluk Prince, skirted our camp and our Mongols

481

rushed to greet their countrymen. The militia tried to prevent them and feeling ran

482

high. We had to intervene, with the result that the Mongols were permitted to speak to

483

the travelers. They proved to be from Kurluk, with camels belonging to their Prince, and

484

they were going to Lhasa to take back a golden manuscript of the *Känjür*,

485

ordered several years ago by the Prince. The Dalai Lama maintains a body of lama

486

copyists whose duty it is to copy the sacred scriptures.

487

488

The manuscripts of the *Känjür* written in gold are very expensive and only a few

489

monasteries and rich families of old descent possess gold *Känjür* sets. The

490

pages of such *Känjürs* are invariably painted black or very dark blue and

491

consist of several leaves of paper pasted together. The letters are of thick gold, and

492

thieves often steal pages or even whole volumes in order to scratch off the gold. Some

493

of these manuscripts have exceptionally fine wooden covers, carved with figures of

494

Buddhas and other motifs of Tibetan religious ornamentation. These manuscript

495

*Känjürs* are important for text-critical work, for many of them are dated and

496

show ancient orthographies. The great monasteries of Tashi-lhun-po and Lhasa possess

497

excellent manuscript copies with dates, and finely carved wooden boards that serve as

498

bindings.

499

500

Outside Tibet, manuscript *Känjür* sets are extremely rare. So far as I know, no

501

golden manuscript *Tänjür* sets exist. The Mongol Prince of Kurluk had ordered a

502

golden manuscript copy of the *Känjür* from Lhasa and stayed over three years at

503

Lhasa to supervise the work.

504

505

We again wrote to the Major protesting against the conduct of the militia and requested

506

a written explanation of the whole case. At first the Major was very reluctant to give

507

out a written statement but finally wrote that the Mongols who passed our camp in the

508

morning were bad people and that we should avoid talking to them. If only the Prince of

509

Kurluk would hear it!

510

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**November 10, 1927**

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515

Before sunrise on November 10 the thermometer registered twenty degrees below zero but

516

at noon it showed ten degrees below. The snow was melting and large pools surrounded our

517

tents. The Major paid an unexpected visit and brought the important news that he had

518

received a letter from the High Commissioner of Hor announcing that a letter had been

519

received from Lhasa, saying that the Government had received the High Commissioner's

520

report and was considering our case. It was the first letter from the Government

521

acknowledging the receipt of the report from Chu-na-khe.

522

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**November 11, 1927**

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527

November 11 was a cold, windy day with drifting snow. Heavy clouds hovered over the

528

hills heralding a snowfall for the night. The chief headman of the region unexpectedly

529

brought back our letter addressed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sent by us on

530

October 28. He told a strange and incredible story—that the letter had been lost by the

531

messenger and that another traveler had picked it up. We requested him to send the

532

letter once more and to punish the previous messenger for carelessness. A messenger with

533

the letter galloped away the same day. A big caravan of Mongols on camels passed

534

northward. Our men had a talk with the caravaneers, who proved to be lamas from Barun

535

and Dzun dzassak in eastern Tsaidam. According to them their caravan had been detained

536

for twenty-one days at Nag-chu. Rumors were current along the Lhasa route, that north of

537

Nag-chu stood a foreign general with a strong cavalry force. In Nag-chu people spoke

538

about a big *Noyon* or Prince who had come from China.

539

540

One of our Mongols in charge of the horses arrived in camp and reported that four more

541

of our animals were dead. We decided to bring the remaining horses and mules to camp and

542

try to sell them to travelers. We were obliged to buy some more felts in order to

543

protect ourselves from the cold of the nights. The cold was so intense that it was

544

utterly impossible to place sentries at night and the protection of the camp was

545

intrusted to the local militia, who stood the weather unusually well. All our Mongols

546

had heart trouble. They resented strongly the inhuman attitude of the Tibetan

547

authorities, and it was becoming difficult to moderate their sentiments. Toward the

548

evening another big camel caravan passed northward, a long string of loaded camels, with

549

men walking ahead of the animals. A miserable cold evening followed the cold day and

550

drifting snow cut our faces, as the wind roared in the mountains.

551

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**November 12, 1927**

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556

November 12. Snow fell during the night but the day was warm and windless. A horse, a

557

mule, and two camels died during the night. In order to protect the remaining ones from

558

the cold, we bought some more felts, and covered the shivering animals with them. The

559

horses and mules were walking skeletons with long manes and shaggy, long hair.

560

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**November 13, 1927**

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565

November 13. The snowfall brought a change in the weather and temperature. The day was

566

warm and misty and a dense fog hid the surrounding mountains. The Major paid us another

567

visit and we had a long conversation on the situation. He inspected our caravan animals

568

and found them in poor condition, many of them doomed. He realized suddenly the hopeless

569

situation of the caravan and agreed to dispatch another messenger to Nag-chu urging the

570

Joint-Governors to do their best to get an answer from Lhasa quickly. We had had enough

571

of Tibetan hospitality. We remembered having heard a few months ago of a Tibetan caravan

572

detained for several days by order of Chinese authorities. The Tibetans were furious and

573

protested against such detention.

574

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**November 14, 1927**

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578

579

November 14. A cloudy morning with gray clouds drifting from the southwest. In the

580

afternoon an unusually heavy snowfall buried the camp completely and resulted in many

581

deaths among our caravan animals. Our camp was now surrounded by corpses of horses,

582

mules, and camels. Ravens and big packs of dogs were feasting on them. Every morning our

583

men had to drag away the fresh corpse of an animal which had died during the night.

584

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**November 15, 1927**

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589

November 15. The heavy snowfall continued during the night and in the morning we could

590

hardly move about the camp. Snow had to be removed from tent entrances to permit the

591

occupants to come out. The camels tied to a picket rope were completely buried under

592

snow and refused to get up. This was a bad sign, and meant that the animals would be

593

dead before long. The hungry mules began to eat each other's felt coverings and

594

tails.

595

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**November 16, 1927**

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600

November 16. Professor Roerich fell ill and had to remain in bed. The doctor was also

601

suffering from weakness of the heart. I wrote another letter to the Major informing him

602

that we had decided to go to Nag-chu without delay, for further detention would cause

603

irreparable harm. The Major was now trying to avoid coming to our camp, excusing himself

604

by saying that he was busy with local matters.

605

606

Local headmen advised us to send our remaining camels to Tsom-ra, a place in the

607

neighborhood of Nag-chu, where the Kurluk Prince was keeping his camels. According to

608

them the snowfall was not so heavy at Tsom-ra and weathered grass was to be found in

609

sufficient quantity. Two mules and one camel perished during the day.

610

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**November 17, 1927**

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615

November 17. In the night another snowfall added to our discomfort and a warm morning

616

melted the snow. The air was damp and large pools of water were rapidly covering the

617

ground in the camp. Professor Roerich was still suffering from a cold and his condition

618

was beginning to cause anxiety. I sent a messenger to the Major eight times, requesting

619

him to come, but he did not come and our servants reported having seen him drunk and

620

unable to talk. Passing travelers reported heavy snowfalls on the Shang-shung Mountains.

621

On the Shang-shung Pass the snow reached almost to the saddle and riders were unable to

622

cross the pass. Local nomads had lost most of their cattle and the few families

623

remaining in the neighborhood were trying to move their encampments farther north.

624

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**November 18, 1927**

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628

629

November 18. A cold and clear day followed dismal days and nights with snowfalls. The

630

thermometer registered 35°C. below zero in the morning and a low temperature prevailed

631

throughout the day. A messenger reached Chu-na-khe with the report that a letter from

632

Lhasa was due to arrive in four days. Professor Roerich was still suffering and the

633

attitude of the Major caused considerable irritation among our camp servants.

634

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**November 19, 1927**

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639

November 19. A sunny, bright day. In the early morning one of our best horses died. The

640

poor animal had a long agony and hungry dogs sat round it, waiting for the end. The

641

Mongol who rode the horse was heartbroken and kept the head of the dying animal in his

642

hands until the end came.

643

644

In the afternoon, the Major brought back our letters to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and

645

Colonel Bailey, and several telegrams to New York, which were supposed to have been

646

transmitted *via* Lhasa to India. The Joint-Governors of Nag-chu wrote that they

647

were unable to forward these letters to Lhasa, because of the heavy snowfalls on the

648

Shang-shung Pass. The soldier who had gone to Nag-chu to buy grain for our animals,

649

returned with provisions. He succeeded in buying only two small bags of grain and one

650

bag of bad flour. The poor caravan animals would have to starve. We were short of grain

651

or *tsam-pa* and had to feed the animals with *chura* or Tibetan milk

652

cheese and dry tea, which was still to be found among local inhabitants. Most of the

653

camels had left for Tsom-ra and only the two best ones remained with us. In order to

654

keep them well, we were obliged to destroy camel packsaddles and give them the straw in

655

the saddlecloth to eat.

656

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**November 20, 1927**

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660

661

November 20. Cold days with frosty nights, during which the thermometer registered down

662

to 40°C. below zero. The ground was frozen hard and the thawed snow became a thick crust

663

of ice that made walking difficult.

664

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**November 22, 1927**

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669

November 22. A windless cold morning was followed by a windy afternoon. The southwest

670

wind usually started after midday and continued to blow until sunset. It was impossible

671

to stay long outside and the interior of the tents was too cold. Our Colonel was

672

suffering from a general breakdown. He remained in his bed and we worried about his

673

condition. The Major paid his daily visit and told me that according to a Tantric Lama

674

who was now staying with him in his camp, a letter from the Government would arrive very

675

soon and that we should not worry. He told me that he remembered having seen Mme David

676

Neel at Jyekundo but professed to have no knowledge about General Pereira, who was there

677

about the same time.

678

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**November 23, 1927**

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682

683

The following day a gale blew from early morning and the thermometer registered -25°C.

684

Nothing was heard about the messenger who was said to be on his way from Lhasa. Some of

685

the militiamen spent the entire day watching the route. Every new arrival from Nag-chu

686

was questioned but all professed utter ignorance of any messenger or letters on the way.

687

Two more horses perished and several others were on the verge of collapsing. The mules

688

wandered about the camp in search of food and devoured anything that was found lying on

689

the ground. One of the muleteers lost his belt, and another had his fur cap eaten. The

690

possibilities of a mule's stomach are truly remarkable.

691

692

Toward evening the frost increased in intensity but the wind abated and the night was

693

cold but quiet. I entered the militia tent in the evening and found the men sleeping in

694

a sitting position on the bare ground. It was a miracle that they did not freeze to

695

death in their torn sheepskins.

696

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**November 24, 1927**

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701

November 24. The morning was one of the coldest we had experienced, the thermometer

702

registering -45°C. Another horse, the gray ambler of our Tibetan guide, was found dead

703

in the snow. Packs of hungry dogs were beginning to be troublesome and were attacking

704

our men outside the camp. This day they killed three sheep. The militiamen kept them

705

away by throwing stones but without great results for the dogs dispersed only to collect

706

again in another place. At night we could hardly sleep for the continuous howling and

707

barking. The dogs even came into our tents and stole provisions. The local people were

708

of the opinion that the unusual snowfall was a punishment sent to Tibet for the strange

709

behavior of the Government toward us.

710

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713

**November 25, 1927**

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714

715

November 25. Again a frosty day with a temperature of -25°C. In the morning we held a

716

meeting of all the European members of the expedition and it was decided to try to

717

obtain permission to cross Tibet to India by routes east or west of Shigatse. A man was

718

sent to the Major, who came at once, greatly alarmed at our decision to start southward.

719

After a long conversation, he agreed to communicate our intention to the Joint-Governors

720

of Nag-chu and ask them to hurry matters in Lhasa.

721

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Impo

722

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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723

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724

**November 26, 1927**

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725

726

November 26. Once again a bitterly cold day. The temperature dropped to -55°C. and with

727

morning we found the brandy frozen in the flasks. The intense frost played havoc with

728

our instruments and watches, as their springs were unable to stand the cold. To keep

729

ourselves warm by night we had to sleep in heavy fur bags and cover ourselves with extra

730

fur blankets. On awaking in the morning, we usually found the outer blanket frozen hard

731

and forming a kind of dome over the camp bed. It was out of the question to rise before

732

the sun had warmed the air a little. Even then the process of dressing (we took off only

733

our fur coats and fur boots) was a painful operation. Hands and feet became numb and

734

refused to obey. Every morning one would see the straggling figures of our companions

735

walking about their tents in a futile attempt to warm themselves. The high altitude

736

intensified the cold and it was hardly possible to do any kind of work.

737

738

Notwithstanding these hardships, our Mongols showed a fine spirit and did not complain.

739

The men had to spend most of the day in a cold tent. To warm themselves they had to walk

740

about camp, and they continuously told their beads. It was pathetic to see these silent

741

figures slowly moving about. Their faces became emaciated, the features sharpened, and

742

the eyes acquired that peculiar look which is common to men who are near death.

743

744

As a result of inadequate feeding, a scurvy became almost general among our native

745

followers and at the end of our detention even appeared among the European staff. The

746

Europeans as a whole showed better resistance. Several of the Mongols suffered from

747

weakening of the heart and their hands and feet swelled horribly. They could hardly move

748

and were an endless cause of anxiety.

749

750

The Major kept his promise and a messenger rode off to Nag-chu. In order to show the

751

Tibetans that our intention to move was serious, we began to repair saddlery and adjust

752

the loads. The Hor-pas watched all these proceedings with great interest and one could

753

hear remarks: "Of course, they can go to Shigatse. What is the

754

*De-wa-shung* doing?"

755

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756

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757

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758

**November 27, 1927**

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759

760

November 27. We spent a quiet day. The everyday program of our occupations was terribly

761

monotonous. We rose early, shortly after sunrise. After breakfast we all worked about

762

the camp, feeding the animals, repairing tents, and writing letters to the different

763

officials. This last occupation was interrupted by the necessity of keeping warm by

764

walking up and down the camp. About midday the Major paid his daily visit and we usually

765

spent several hours in negotiations. In the afternoon, we again walked or wrote in our

766

tents. It was almost impossible to use a typewriter. The fingers froze to it and one had

767

to use gloves. At sunset everybody retired to his tent to spend a long night, sleeping

768

in a fur bag.

769

770

In the evening of November 27 an unusual commotion in the Tibetan camp announced the

771

arrival of two messengers from the High Commissioner of Hor. The Major at once sent us a

772

message, saying that he would come early the next day with letters from the High

773

Commissioner.

774

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775

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776

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777

**November 28, 1927**

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778

779

November 28. The Major came about noon and brought a letter from the High Commissioner.

780

After the usual polite phrases, the High Commissioner excused himself for not having

781

sent our letters to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to Colonel F. M. Bailey. He returned

782

the two letters. He also informed us that the government answer would come through the

783

Joint-Governors of Nag-chu and that from now on we should apply directly to them. The

784

High Commissioner was evidently trying to escape responsibility and was unable to give

785

us a definite answer from the Government. I am sure that such was the case. The letter

786

was probably couched in such obscure terms, that the High Commissioner was unable to

787

make a clear statement. The Tibetan Government orders are usually written in such a way

788

as to leave the official to whom a letter is addressed in the dark about the real

789

intentions of the Government. Following the advice of the High Commissioner we at once

790

dispatched a messenger to the Joint-Governors with a communication that it was our firm

791

intention to move at once to Nag-chu and to negotiate with them about our further route

792

to India.

793

794

Late in the evening the lama Rig-dzin arrived with two of our camels from Tsom-ra and

795

reported that five of our camels were dead and the remaining twelve were unable to move

796

and for several days had been lying on the ground. Thus came the end of our camel

797

caravan. Forty fine camels had perished and only four remained alive. There were at

798

Tsom-ra about a hundred camels belonging to Mongols and most of the animals were in a

799

terrible condition. The snowfall was heavy at Tsom-ra and snow was reported as far south

800

as the Ra-deng Monastery, on the southern side of the Shang-shung. Loaded animals were

801

unable to cross the Shang-shung Pass and only official messengers kept up the

802

communication with Lhasa.

803

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804

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805

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806

**November 29, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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807

808

November 29. In the morning we had to record another loss among our caravan animals. One

809

mule was found dead and another was missing. Several of our men went in search of the

810

missing animal and found it dead, buried in snow, at the foot of the hill. The day

811

otherwise passed quietly.

812

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813

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814

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815

**November 30, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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816

817

November 30 was cloudy with a strong southwest wind. Toward noon the wind abated and the

818

rest of the day was windless and sunny. Golubin and the lama Khe-dup went to buy some

819

butter and furs from a nomad encampment, some three miles south of our camp. The guards

820

were very uneasy about it and begged us not to go. The local nomads had received strict

821

orders not to sell food supplies and were in great fear of the Major and his soldiery.

822

Golubin and Khe-dup returned toward evening and brought some butter and Tibetan cheese.

823

Golubin reported that the encampments were surrounded by carcasses of dead yaks and

824

sheep and that dogs made the approach to the encampments difficult.

825

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826

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827

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828

**December 1 — 3, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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829

830

December 1-3. The weather was warmer during these days. No fresh snowfalls were reported

831

on the passes and loaded animals were reported to be able to cross the snowy Shang-shung

832

by a well-trodden snow path. Notwithstanding the welcome news that the road to Lhasa had

833

much improved and that caravans and parties of pilgrims succeeded in crossing the pass

834

to Nag-chu, the government reply did not arrive and there was no likelihood of an answer

835

ever arriving. A government custom official stationed at Chu-na-khe proceeded to Nag-chu

836

to confer with the Joint-Governors about our coming there.

837

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838

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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839

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840

**December 4, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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841

842

December 4. A sunny day. The southwest wind had carried the snow away from the mountain

843

slopes and the western slopes of the hills were free from snow. On the northern and

844

eastern slopes snow lay deep. It was a Tibetan holiday and the Major and his soldiery

845

were drunk from early morning. A Hor-pa brought for sale a musk pod at the exorbitant

846

price of forty Chinese dollars. The Government forbids hunting and the prices of furs

847

and musk were accordingly very high.

848

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849

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850

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851

**December 5, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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852

853

December 7. A soldier arrived from Nag-chu and brought back our letters addressed to the

854

Joint-Governors unopened! The Joint-Governors refused to send the letter addressed to

855

Colonel Bailey and even had the insolence to send back unopened our letter addressed to

856

them. Evidently the Major was right and the Joint-Governors were difficult people. A

857

trader once told us, "The High Commissioner of Hor is a man of noble birth with

858

pleasant manners and speech but the Governors of Nag-chu are self-made men." Their

859

present action, besides being uncivil, was very strange and we wrote a long protest and

860

sent it to the High Commissioner of Hor.

861

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862

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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863

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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864

**December 7, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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865

866

7 декабря. Из Нагчу прибыл солдат и возвратил наши письма, адресованные губернаторам,

867

нераспечатанными! Губернаторы отказались пересылать письмо полковнику Бейли и даже имели

868

наглость вернуть назад адресованное им письмо нераспечатанным. Очевидно, майор был прав,

869

что губернаторы – трудные люди. Один из торговцев говорил, что «верховный комиссар Хора

870

– человек благородного происхождения с приятными манерами и речью, но губернаторы

871

Нагчу-выскочки». Их такое поведение, кроме того, что оно было нецивилизованным,

872

оказалось очень странным, и мы написали по этому поводу длинный протест и послали его

873

верховному комиссару Хора.

874

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875

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876

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877

**December 8 — 11, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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878

879

December 8, 9, 10, and 11. The messenger carrying our letter to the High Commissioner

880

left early in the morning. The local population condemned the high-handed action of the

881

Joint-Governors. The next few days were spent trying hard to persuade the Major to move

882

the camp to Byi-ru gompa, the winter headquarters of the High Commissioner. He was the

883

first to see us and moreover had given us permission to travel about his territory. We

884

therefore decided to proceed to Byi-ru gompa and await there the government answer.

885

886

At high altitudes as has been remarked it is extremely difficult to maintain strict

887

discipline among men. They become irritable and although our men showed an unusual

888

amount of courage and loyalty under the hardships, they began to weaken toward the end

889

of the detention. One day one of the Mongols came to my tent and reported in a low

890

voice, hardly being able to screen his excitement: "Sir, our swords are becoming

891

sharper and sharper by themselves! If you do not take measures, there will be

892

bloodshed!" There is a common belief among Mongols and Tibetans that knives and

893

swords would suddenly become sharper before a battle or quarrel. I understood the danger

894

and went to the servants' tent. The men were sitting around the camp hearth and

895

several were examining the blades of their swords, others were excitedly arguing about

896

something. On inquiry, it proved that two of the men had a dispute several days ago over

897

an extra cup of tea and the dispute remained unsettled. Yesterday the men had found that

898

their swords suddenly became sharper and today this process of self-sharpening

899

continued. The atmosphere was charged with tension and some of the cooler heads decided

900

to report the matter. We were obliged to confiscate all knives and swords and keep them

901

in our tents until the situation quieted down. The last three weeks preceding our

902

release were especially trying because of a hidden unrest among the men and we had to be

903

extremely careful not to provoke a quarrel either among our followers or with the

904

Tibetan sentries.

905

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906

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907

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908

**December 12, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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909

910

December 12. The Major came again in the afternoon and we had a long conversation with

911

him. Again the old story, which we had heard every day since the beginning of our

912

detention—"Unable to allow you to proceed further before receiving an answer from

913

the Government." "But if some one of us should die from exposure or should

914

contract a serious illness, who would then be responsible? Does the Tibetan Government

915

think about possible complications?" To all these questions the Major looked sadly

916

at us and said that he would probably be made a scapegoat by his Government; that the

917

Tibetan *luk-so* or custom was difficult and cruel and that the Tibetans

918

inherited many of their bad qualities from their ancestors, an ogress and an ape. The

919

Tibetans speak easily about their own bad traits and usually find an explanation for

920

such a state of things in the mythological story of the origin of the Tibetan race. The

921

ape and the ogress are to blame for most of their bad qualities. Professor Roerich

922

decided to move our camp to the Bön-po Monastery of Sharugön, a place said to be well

923

sheltered from winds.

924

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925

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926

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927

**December 13, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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928

929

December 13. We sent a reconnoitering party to Sharugön Monastery to find a suitable

930

camping place. It was out of the question to stay in the monastery itself, and we chose

931

a level spot on the bank of a small rivulet emptying into the Chu-na-khe River. A high

932

granite spur sheltered the place from the southwest winds and toward the south the

933

narrow mountain glen rose toward a flat pass, across which ran another route to Nag-chu.

934

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935

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936

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937

**December 15, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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938

939

December 15. A very cold morning with piercing wind. The river close to our camp

940

unexpectedly swelled under the ice and a large area was flooded. The Major paid us a

941

visit at the unusually early hour of seven o'clock in the morning and informed us

942

that he had decided to visit Nag-chu and to confer with the Joint-Governors. We agreed

943

to his plan and in the meantime decided to move our camp to Sharugön and await there the

944

Major's return. The Major told us that he was undertaking the journey of his own

945

accord and that he had no instructions from the Government to do so.

946

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947

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948

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949

**December 16, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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950

951

December 16. There is apparently something going on—something that is kept secret from

952

us. The headman who escorted us from Sheng-di to Chu-na-khe visited our camp and said

953

that he had received instructions to accompany the Major on his trip to Nag-chu. About

954

midday the Major and the local headman and our Tibetan guide from Urga, left the camp

955

for Nag-chu. The rest of the day was spent in adjusting the loads, for the following day

956

we were moving the camp to Sharugön.

957

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958

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959

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960

**December 17, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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961

962

December 17. Seventy yaks were needed to transport our camp and baggage to Sharugön.

963

Some of the animals were so wild that they threw off the loads and stampeded toward the

964

hills. Many of the cases were badly damaged. We were unable to transport all the baggage

965

on the same day and Golubin remained behind with two Mongols in order to bring the

966

remaining loads the next day.

967

968

The road to Sharugön was free from snow. After a two hours' ride, we reached the

969

monastery. It was out of the question to camp in the courtyard of the monastery or to

970

occupy the two rooms on the second floor of the *du-khang* or assembly hall,

971

which were cold and damp. We therefore pitched our tents on the spot I had chosen two

972

days before. The new camp was pitched in one line, to avoid congestion and leave a

973

passage free. Close to the camp stood ruins of an old stone hovel, which was formerly

974

the property of a wealthy family of nomads.

975

976

The head lama of the monastery paid us a visit and brought some milk as a present. He

977

said that the monks did not object to our stay in the monastery but he strongly objected

978

to the Major taking quarters inside the monastery compound. According to the old man,

979

the Major was a bad man and the gods of the place would probably do him some harm.

980

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981

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982

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983

**December 18, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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984

985

December 18. The night was quiet and we were glad to have a good rest in a sheltered

986

place, after the strong winds of Chu-na-khe that made a terrible noise in the tents and

987

prevented sleep. In the afternoon Golubin arrived with the rest of the baggage. He told

988

us an amusing story about a rat which used to live in my tent and was always a source of

989

great discomfort to me. After we had taken down all the tents, Golubin saw the rat

990

rushing about the camp in search of shelter. It soon disappeared, probably having found

991

a hiding place. Great was our surprise, when we found the rat sitting between the saddle

992

and the hump of a camel! The animal was probably in the habit of moving about with

993

Tibetan camps and now joined our caravan.

994

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995

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996

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997

**December 19, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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998

999

December 19. A sunny and warm day but before sunrise the morning was bitterly cold. The

1000

narrow glen in which our camp was pitched was surrounded on all sides by high mountain

1001

ridges and the sun appeared only at about nine o'clock. Before that time the camp

1002

was plunged in darkness. The sky immediately above the crest of the ridge would light up

1003

with a golden yellow color and a few moments later, the first rays of the sun would

1004

illumine the monastery. The conch trumpet would resound in the monastery and the lamas

1005

begin their daily occupations. We always eagerly awaited this moment, for it brought

1006

warmth and enabled us to begin work about the camp. Before the sun had risen above the

1007

ridge, the cold was so intense that it was utterly impossible to do any kind of work.

1008

The hands froze to metal objects and even tea could not keep us warm. The extremes of

1009

temperature were very marked, about noon we had +20° in the sun and after sunset the

1010

temperature dropped to -25° or even -30°.

1011

1012

A soldier came from the monastery and asked our doctor to visit the Major's wife,

1013

who for several days past had been suffering from a cold. We found the young woman

1014

sitting in a dirty monastery cell, damp and cold, with an open window and door. The

1015

doctor found pneumonia. The woman was doomed and the only thing that could save her was

1016

to bring her down to lower altitudes and to better surroundings. At an altitude of

1017

almost 16,000 feet pneumonia was deadly and no cure was possible. Our doctor gave her

1018

some medicine to help her a little but there was no chance for recovery.

1019

1020

During our stay at Sharugön, I arranged with the head lama of the monastery to examine

1021

the Bön-po *Känjür* and *Tänjür*, found in the monastery library.

1022

1023

A wealthy Bön-po lama who lived higher up in the glen, visited our camp and was very

1024

anxious to trade with us. We therefore sent Golubin to his camp and he brought back

1025

several dried carcasses of sheep, butter and what was more important, some fresh milk.

1026

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1027

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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1028

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1029

**December 20, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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1030

1031

December 20. Quite unexpectedly our Tibetan and the custom official from Nag-chu came

1032

back to us. They transmitted an invitation from the Joint-Governors of Nag-chu to visit

1033

them. The permission was granted to Professor Roerich, Mrs. Roerich and myself. The rest

1034

of the expedition would have to await the results of our negotiations. We answered that

1035

the expedition could not be divided and that we could only proceed to Nag-chu together

1036

with the rest of the European members of the expedition. A letter was therefore sent to

1037

the Joint-Governors stating our attitude.

1038

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1039

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1040

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1041

**December 21, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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1042

1043

December 21. A warm night was followed by a windy day with light snow. The doctor paid

1044

another visit to the Major's wife, who was getting worse and suffered from

1045

congestion of the lungs.

1046

1047

Our Tibetan guide transmitted to us the message from the Joint-Governors, in which they

1048

expressed their desire to help us on our way to India. They were much surprised by the

1049

absence of any answer from Lhasa. News had been received at Nag-chu that the Filchner

1050

Expedition had been blocked in snows, somewhere on its way to Nam-ru or Nag-tshang.

1051

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1052

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
Impo

1053

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1054

**December 22, 1927**

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Impo

1055

1056

December 22. A soldier arrived from Byi-ru gompa and brought back all our letters and

1057

telegrams addressed to Colonel F. M. Bailey and cables to New York. The High

1058

Commissioner made the same excuse, that the road to Lhasa was blocked by snow and that

1059

messengers were unable to cross the mountain passes. The High Commissioner, hearing of

1060

our difficult situation, was sending us two bags of flour, four bags of

1061

*tsam-pa* and ten small bags of grain for our animals. The soldier told us that

1062

no letters from the Government had been received at Byi-ru gompa and that the official

1063

felt great uneasiness about our case.

1064

8e8e06	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-22 19:05:48
Impo

1065

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
Impo

1066

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1067

**December 25 — 26, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
Impo

1068

1069

December 25, 26. The past three nights were exceptionally cold and the temperature

1070

dropped to -35°. The days were windy, and drifting snow forced us to keep to the tents.

1071

In the afternoon of December 26 the Major came back unexpectedly to Sharugön and sent a

1072

messenger to our camp saying that he would like to have a long conversation tomorrow.

1073

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Impo

1074

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
Impo

1075

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1076

**December 27, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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1077

1078

December 27. Again an intense cold during the night. The day was clear but frosty and it

1079

was impossible to keep one's self warm. We lost two more horses. One of them was

1080

probably poisoned by Tibetan cheese of inferior quality.

1081

1082

The Major visited the camp in the afternoon and informed us that the Joint-Governors

1083

were unable to permit the whole expedition to visit Nag-chu and they had decided to come

1084

and see us at Sharugön. A fresh letter had been sent to Lhasa with an urgent request to

1085

grant a decision. According to the Major the situation in Nag-chu was very difficult.

1086

The population of the district was suffering from famine and most of the cattle had

1087

perished. A small bag of flour (about twenty pounds) was sold for twenty

1088

*ngü-sangs*. A log of firewood cost one *ngü-sang*.

1089

8e8e06	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-22 19:05:48
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1090

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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1091

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1092

**December 28, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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1093

1094

December 28. A cold and cloudy day. In the early morning Golubin went to buy some mutton

1095

and grain for the horses. He soon returned with one bag of grain and three sheep, which

1096

he succeeded in buying with great difficulty. The local Hor-pas had told him that the

1097

Major again forbade all trade with us. In the afternoon the situation became still more

1098

difficult and all the local headmen came to our camp and informed us that they were no

1099

longer able to supply us with grain and *tsam-pa*. From now on, we had to face

1100

famine, or try to persuade the Joint-Governors of Nag-chu to permit us to move to

1101

Nag-chu. I answered that it was their business to supply us with a sufficient amount of

1102

grain and that in case they were unable to do so they should apply to the Government for

1103

orders. We were anxious to go south and would gladly force our way through but in that

1104

case the local headmen would be held responsible. These words had their effect and the

1105

headmen finally agreed to continue to supply us with grain and *tsam-pa*. They

1106

asked, however, that we insist upon the Joint-Governors giving us permission to travel

1107

southward.

1108

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1109

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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1110

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1111

**December 29, 1927**

c59c25	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:28:31
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1112

1113

December 29. Our doctor paid another visit to the Major's wife. She was beyond hope

1114

of recovery. The headmen of the Hor-pas for some reason refused again to furnish us with

1115

sufficient supplies. Sentries were posted at all the neighboring encampments to prevent

1116

the inhabitants from selling supplies to us. We sent out a reconnoitering party, which

1117

was armed as a precautionary measure, to investigate the situation and try to obtain

1118

necessities. Every time our party rode up to an encampment, the sentry would run away

1119

and leave the passage free. This made it clear that the local population was only

1120

outwardly following the orders of the headmen. I had a sharp conversation with the

1121

Major's soldiery and the local headmen. We sent a letter to the High Commissioner

1122

stating that his orders were disobeyed and that the population was in open revolt

1123

against the Major and his soldiers. After a heated discussion, the headmen agreed to

1124

continue to supply us with foodstuffs and permit the local population to trade with us.

1125

The Major also promised to settle the situation.

1126

8e8e06	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-22 19:05:48
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1127

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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1128

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1129

**December 31, 1927**

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1130

1131

December 31. In the early morning we sent out another armed party to find out whether

1132

yesterday's conversations had had any results. We found the local population eager

1133

to trade and were able to buy meat and butter. A local headman came to apologize and

1134

informed us that the ban on trade was removed by the Major. Today was the eighty-seventh

1135

day of our enforced detention and the last day of a difficult year.

1136

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1137

f0b340	Otterwiki Robot	2026-03-08 20:44:11
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1138

ab8514	Otterwiki Robot	2026-01-14 13:34:48
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1139

**January 1 — 3, 1928**

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1140

1141

January 1, 3, 1928. Rumors were current that the Joint-Governors were

1142

*en route* for Sharugön and that horses were ordered to await their arrival at

1143

relay stations between Chu-na-khe and Nag-chu. It was unprecedented that the

1144

Joint-Governors were leaving Nag-chu to negotiate with foreigners and it was impossible

1145

to say what made them come.

1146

1147

The Major's wife was in a critical condition but obstinately refused to follow the

1148

instructions of the doctor.

1149

1150

The Major and his soldiery were rapidly losing control over the local nomads and we

1151

noticed many armed tribesmen in the vicinity of the monastery. The local population was

1152

apparently tired of the necessity of supplying us with food and attending the Major and

1153

his soldiers who were receiving all the supplies free of charge.