More adventures among the wild tribes of the mountains; the white lamas, the black lamas and phallic worship.  Curious prehistoric caves with ancient terra-cotta figures resembling only others found in Japan and supplying a curious link.  A feudal system running with well oiled wheels, the happiest of communities.  A separation (temporary) from Brook, who wrote in his diary that tribes were very friendly and seemed anxious to help him, and was killed on the day following—­the truth hard to gather—­the recovery of his body, &c.

As he left the country the Nepaulese ambassador arrives, returning from Pekin with large escort and bound for Lhassa:  the ambassador half demented:  and Meares, who speaks many languages, is begged by ambassador and escort to accompany the party.  He is obliged to miss this chance of a lifetime.

This is the meagrest outline of the tale which Meares adorned with a hundred incidental facts—­for instance, he told us of the Lolo trade in green waxfly—­the insect is propagated seasonally by thousands of Chinese who subsist on the sale of the wax produced, but all insects die between seasons.  At the commencement of each season there is a market to which the wild hill Lolos bring countless tiny bamboo boxes, each containing a male and female insect, the breeding of which is their share in the industry.

We are all adventurers here, I suppose, and wild doings in wild countries appeal to us as nothing else could do.  It is good to know that there remain wild corners of this dreadfully civilised world.

We have had a bright fine day.  This morning a balloon was sent up without thread and with the flag device to which I have alluded.  It went slowly but steadily to the north and so over the Barne Glacier.  It was difficult to follow with glasses frequently clouding with the breath, but we saw the instrument detached when the slow match burned out.  I’m afraid there is no doubt it fell on the glacier and there is little hope of recovering it.  We have now decided to use a thread again, but to send the bobbin up with the balloon, so that it unwinds from that end and there will be no friction where it touches the snow or rock.

This investigation of upper air conditions is proving a very difficult matter, but we are not beaten yet.

Wednesday, August 30.—­Fine bright day.  The thread of the balloon sent up to-day broke very short off through some fault in the cage holding the bobbin.  By good luck the instrument was found in the North Bay, and held a record.

This is the fifth record showing a constant inversion of temperature for a few hundred feet and then a gradual fall, so that the temperature of the surface is not reached again for 2000 or 3000 feet.  The establishment of this fact repays much of the trouble caused by the ascents.