me.

The map is made entirely from my surveys of an area of twelve thousand
five hundred square miles in Tibet proper. In Chapter VI. the altitudes
of such high peaks in India as Nanda Devi and others are taken from the
Trigonometrical Survey, and so are the positions fixed by astronomical
observations of the starting and terminating points of my surveys at the
places where I entered and left Tibet.

In the orthography of geographical names I have adopted the course
advised by the Royal Geographical Society--viz., to give the names their
true sound as they are locally pronounced, and I have made no exception
even for the grand and poetic "Himahlya" which is in English usually
distorted into the unmusical and unromantic word "Himalayas."

I submit with all deference the following geographical results of my
expedition:

The solution of the uncertainty regarding the division of the Mansarowar
and Rakstal Lakes.

The ascent to so great an altitude as 22,000 feet, and the pictures of
some of the great Himahlyan glaciers.

The visit to and the fixing of the position of the two principal sources
of the Brahmaputra, never before reached by a European.

The fact that with only two men I was able to travel for so long in the
most populated part of Tibet.

In addition to the above, I am glad to state that owing to the publicity
which I gave on my return to the outrageous Tibetan abuses taking place
on British soil, the Government of India at last, in the summer of 1898,
notified the Tibetan authorities that they will no longer be permitted to
collect Land Revenue from British subjects there. This fact gives me
special satisfaction, because of the exceptional courtesy and kindness
bestowed on me by our mountain tribesmen, the Shokas.

The Government Report of the official Investigation of my case, as well
as other documents substantiating the details of my narrative, are
printed in an appendix.

A. H. S. L.

_May 1899_

CONTENTS

PREFACE p. ix

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS p. xxii

I
FROM LONDON TO NAINI TAL Pp. 1-3

II
Loads--A set of useful pack-saddle cases--Provisions and scientific
outfit--Clothes and shoes--Medicines--Under way--The first
march--Servants--How I came to employ faithful Chanden Sing pp. 4-10

III
Pithoragarh--Fakir women--A well-ventilated abode--Askote--The
Rajiwar and his people Pp. 11-16

IV
The Raots--A slippery journey--Superstitious notions-