y, M. Gabet fell ill, his health abandoning him just
at the moment when the frightful difficulties of the route called for
redoubled energy and courage. The excessive cold he had undergone on the
passage of Mount Chuga, had entirely broken up his strength. To regain
his previous vigour, he needed repose, tonic drinks, and a substantial
nourishment, whereas all we had to give him was barley-meal, and tea made
with snow water; and, moreover, notwithstanding his extreme weakness, he
had every day to ride on horseback, and to struggle against an iron
climate. And we had two months more of this travelling before us, in the
depth of winter. Our prospect was, indeed, sombre!

Towards the commencement of September, we arrived in sight of the
Bayen-Kharat, a famous chain of mountains, extending from south-east to
north-west, between the Hoang-Ho and the Kin-Cha-Kiang. These two great
rivers, after running a parallel course on either side of the
Bayen-Kharat, then separate and take opposite directions, the one towards
the north, the other towards the south. After a thousand capricious
meanderings in Tartary and Thibet, they both enter the Chinese empire;
and after having watered it from west to east, they approach each other,
towards their mouths, and fall into the Yellow Sea very nearly together.
The point at which we crossed the Bayen-Kharat is not far from the
sources of the Yellow River; they lay on our left, and a couple of days'
journey would have enabled us to visit them; but this was by no means the
season for pleasure trips. We had no fancy for a tourist's excursion to
the sources of the Yellow River: how to cross the Bayen-Kharat was ample
occupation for our thoughts.

From its foot to its summit the mountain was completely enveloped in a
thick coat of snow. Before undertaking the ascent, the principal members
of the embassy held a council. The question was not whether they should
pass the mountain: if they desired to reach Lha-Ssa, the passage of the
mountain was an essential preliminary; nor was it the question, whether
they should await the melting of the snow; the point was simply whether
it would be more advantageous to ascend the mountain at once or to wait
till next day. The fear of avalanches filled every one's mind, and we
should all have gladly subscribed to effect an assurance against the
wind. After the example of all the councils in the world, the council of
the Thibetian embassy was soon divided