Chapter 3 Summary

About a dozen men approach the four passengers. They are carrying a blue-robed, elderly man in a hooded chair. As they come closer, Conway sees that the man is Chinese and wearing a silk embroidered gown. The man speaks perfect English. He says his name is Chang. Conway introduces each of the four passengers. Chang offers to be their guide. Mallinson wants Chang to guide them back to civilization. Chang asks why they think they are not in civilization.

The Tibetans are dressed in sheepskins, fur hats and yak skin boots. They offer the passengers fruit and wine. Chang and Conway chat about the beautiful mountain with its perfect cone-shape. The mountain is called Karakal, and the Tibetans know it well. The inhabitants of the lamasery, who study trigonometry and the measurement of mountains, have even measured Karakal.

The group resumes the climb...