Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/299

 there to be robbed; upon this the Chinese general contented himself with what he had taken and abstained from any further inspection.

In the meanwhile the camels had not been brought across the River, the excuse being that the wind was too high and would endanger their being drowned. At last, after renewed remonstrances, the mandarin gave orders to ferry them over; but as they could not be placed on the boat owing to its high sides, ropes were tied to their heads, and in this way they were towed through the river, which is 1,400 feet wide, and has a rapid current. This bath certainly did not improve them, as these creatures have a strong aversion to water.

As soon as the camels had been brought over, I asked for my passport, but was told that the mandarin was asleep and that I might wait till next day. Out of all patience at this delay, I sent a messenger to say that if my passport were not returned we would go without it, but should prefer our complaints at Peking at such treatment.

I do not know in what words the message was delivered to the mandarin; but a quarter of an hour later an official appeared, escorted by ten soldiers, with orders from the mandarin to write another list of all our articles, and not to suffer us to depart without a passport. This time they only wrote down the number of our boxes, leathern trunks, and bags; the soldiers remained under the pretence of preserving these articles from the thieves, but really to guard us.