An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

:TIBET. 355tAvenfy-eight degrees. From the report I had heard, I took care thatit should be early in the day when I approached the Ramtcliieu : weencamped upon itsbanks, and passed great part of our time, while weremained at this station, upon our skates. This exercise was novelonly to the few inhabitants of this solitary neighbourhood;who were with me, had already seen us skate at Tsondue ;the peoplebut thoughI had the superiority in one art, Ifound that they excelled in anotherthey were most excellent sliders.The lake, on which we were, had been frozen over, I was informed,so early as October; but a violent wind soon after arose, which hadbroken the surface, and thrown the ice, in vast confused masses,upon its borders. A tranquil season then ensued, during which itbecame uniformly smooth, and it was now a most noble sheet of ice.There were, indeed, some vast cracks, of which I could not, with mycane, measure the depth :these were occasioned by the diminution ofthe water beneath, and the consequent sinking of the ice to rest uponits surface. When this was ascertained, I had no apprehensions inapproaching close to them, and itafforded some variety in our amusement,to leap across them with our skates. A very strong and keenair prevailed while we continued upon the ice. It was great exerciseto advance against it, but it required no effort to return; as^ by expandinga handkerchief by way of a sail, I glided along upon my skatesto a great distance with considerable velocity, without striking astroke.We were sensible, while we remained abroad, of the benefitof exercise in preserving genial warmth ;but when the day closed in,and we were obliged to retire within our tents, we found the coldZz