A dull, quiet morning succeeded this stormy weather. The two men again set forth, while I followed with the rest. As we proceeded we discovered we had marched into a _cul de sac_. On our right hand our road was blocked by the river, now increased to double its size. In front of us stretched a fine fresh-water lake, while on our left an arm of this lake lay, covering a distance of some miles to our rear. There was, under these circumstances, no alternative left. I should either have to cross this arm or march back all the way round it. The first plan I attempted, but to no purpose, for the soil of the lake was too soft. I had, therefore, to begin a retrograde march. I felt lucky that the mules had not been lost altogether in the arm of the lake, as seemed probable at one time, so was less bitter against having to march in a westerly direction. Everywhere on the banks of this lake grew magnificent green grass, and there were signs of many yak. By the edges of this shallow freshwater lay innumerable bones and scores of very fine heads and skeletons of dead yak. It seemed as though they all came to die by the shore of this wonderful lake.
I halted the little party in a garden of vegetables, and having made a meal off the last piece of the wild donkey, set out in search of game, but only bagged a couple of fat hares. About here I noticed large carrion birds, generally a sign that people are living in the neighbourhood. Enjoying the lake, too, were a multitude of various white birds, mostly in the middle of it.
It was my wish to start early, but the ground was white with snow at daybreak. In consequence, as we marched along the edge of the lake, the going was of the heaviest. A kyang came trotting up to see what we were after. Unfortunately, I only broke his foreleg, for, although I chased him for a very long way, he was still able to evade my shots and escape. It was satisfactory to find oneself marching east again. I at length pitched camp close to the water's edge, opposite my camp of the day before, on the other side of the arm.
As soon as the storm which had broken over us had passed off, I climbed the grassy hills that bordered the north shore of the lake, to shoot some food. I crept close up to two yak and wounded one of them, and chased him till the approaching darkness and a violent storm warned me it was time to return. I cared not how it rained, for I was angry and vexed with myself at having in one day wounded two harmless animals, and at the same time at having provided no food for the party.