river passage. As he had promised, the
fisherman returned in the evening. "My partners," said he, "were not at
first willing to undertake this job, because it would lose them a day's
fishing. I promised that you would give them 400 sapeks, and so the
affair was arranged. To-morrow we will make inquiries as to the best
course to follow on the river. Next morning, before sun-rise, fold your
tent, load your camels, and come down to the river side. If you see any
of the ferry people, don't tell them you are going to give us 400 sapeks.
As they have the sole right of carrying passengers for hire, they might
prosecute us for carrying you, if they knew you had paid us anything."

At the appointed hour, we proceeded to the fisherman's hut. In a minute
the baggage was packed in the boat, and the two missionaries seated
themselves beside it, attended by the boatman whose wound they had cured.
It was agreed that a young companion of his should ride the horse across
the shallows, leading the mule, while Samdadchiemba, in like manner, was
to conduct the camels over. When all was ready we started, the boat
following one course, the horses and camels another, for the latter were
obliged to make long circuits in order to avoid the deeper parts of the
river.

The navigation was at first very pleasant. We floated tranquilly over
the broad surface of the waters, in a small skiff, propelled by a single
man with two light sculls. The pleasure of this water party, amid the
deserts of Mongolia, was not, however, of long duration. The poetry of
the thing, soon at an end, was succeeded by some very doleful prose. We
were advancing gently over the smooth water, vaguely listening to the
measured dips of the sculls, when, all of a sudden, we were aroused by a
clamour behind, of which the shrieks of the camels constituted a
prominent share. We stopped, and, looking round, perceived that horse,
mule, and camels were struggling in the water, without making any onward
progress. In the general confusion we distinguished Samdadchiemba
flourishing his arms, as if to recall us. Our boatman was not at all
disposed to accept the invitation, reluctant as he was to quit the easy
current he had found; but as we insisted, he turned back, and rowed
towards the other party.

Samdadchiemba was purple with rage. As soon as we came up to him, he
furiously assailed the boatman with invectives: "Did you want to drown
us," bawled he, "that you gave u