Let me begin this tale with a hardy “thank you” to Lady Finley for bringing back memories I had not thought of in years. I’ve just been sitting here thinking of such fond…But I digress. Let me begin…
The expedition actually began just before my fifth birthday when I read of the sighting of the mysterious “Yeti” by B.H. Hodgson in an issue of “The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal". At the time, I did not know Mr. Hodgson, but decided that had to change. I recognized the author of the journal, Mr. James Prinsep, as an aquaintance of my father from one of London’s many dinner parties where we had been introduced. After graduation from med school, I contacted Mr. Prinsep expressing my desire to meet Mr. Hodgson.
To make a long story short, the three of us met in February, 1844 and decided to form an expedition to see if we could find the infamious yeti. We left Napal on September 3, 1844 and began our “grand adventure”.
On the evening of the fourteenth day we made camp somewhere about half way up the north face of Mt Everest (which was approximately where Mr. Hodgson said he had spotted the Yeti in 1832). After dinner, Mr. Prinsep showed me a new invention he had purchased especially for the expedition, a box called a “camera” with which he hoped to take a “picture” of the monster Yeti. As intriqued as I was with the camera, I was simply too tired from the days march to do anything but go to bed.
During the night, a snowstorm came up accompanied by moderately high winds and freezing cold tempatures. Just after midnight, I was forced to answer the call of nature. As I was half asleep and very cold, I did not take time to lace up my boots or button my coat, but held the coat together as I ran to the “nature” tent . While occupied in there, I heard a great comotion outside. There was a lot of yelling, growling and ripping of cloth (I thought), and a couple of gunshots. In my haste to get back outside and into the fray, I completely forgot my coat. As I ran out of the tent, a great roar which sounded like a frieght train drown out all other sound, and I looked up the mountain to see an avalanche that enveloped both the entire camp and me, tearing my unlaced boots off in the process.
I’m not sure just how long I was trapped under the snow with no idea which way was up, or even for sure if I was alive. I was very cold at first, but began to feel warm and cozy. I knew if I fell asleep, I’d never wake up. I began to sing at the top of my lungs (God Save the Queen) to keep awake and alert. To my surprise, I began to hear digging just above my head.
Again , to shorten a long story, I passed out before I was rescued. When I awoke, I found myself lying on a pile of soft animal firs covered by more in what appeared to be a rather large cave. In the center of the cave was a fire pit with a blazing fire and a kettle of something steaming. I didn’t know what was in the kettle, but it smelled sooooo good, and I was sooooo hungry.
Along with the fire, I noticed a woman (A WOMAN!?) kneeling beside the fire spooning a liquid from the kettle into a wooden bowl. She stood and came over to me speaking in a language I couldn’t understand. She held out the bowl and a wooden spoon. I was too hungry to care what it was; I took it and began to eat. It was mighty good. It had chunks of some kind of meat in it.
Just then, THE YETI arrived (Yep, I said the YETI!!!). As I dropped the bowl, and began to crawl backwards, the Yeti leaned over and TOOK OFF HIS HEAD! I must admit, I was as scared as a new Mother watching a King Cobra crawl up her baby’s leg.
As the Yeti straightened up, I realized it was a man. A man dressed in a suit of hair with some kind of head mask that looked like a cross between an ape and a very old Chinese man covered with hair. The hair’s color was a mixture of black, brown and white.
Just then a boy that appeared about ten years old and ran from behind a curtain I hadn’t noticed before into the arms of the man squealing his delight. When the man saw me staring at him, he grinned largely, and walked over to me.
The woman handed him a bowl of soup as he passed her on his way to me. He sat down grinning and began talking in the same language as the woman while eating. I began to gesture with my hands that I couldn’t understand him, and he seemed to understand. He began to nod his head. By the use of signing, I finally understood that he played the Yeti to protect his family. They were afraid of outsiders to their “land”. While he and I were trying to communicate, his woman made a paste with which to bathe my feet (which had been frostbitten when I was buried in the snow along with the fingers of my left hand).
Once again to shorten my story, after several months with the family (while my feet healed), I developed a rudimentary understanding of their language. Batukhan (spelling via me) was the fourth generation Mongolian who had become the Yeti. Batukhan’s great great grandfather fled from the Chinese after their defeat at the Great Wall of China in fear to Mt. Everest in the hopes of never seeing another human again. He had brought his family, and developed the Yeti suit to scare anyone who happened by. He taught his children to do the same (and so forth).
When I was trapped in the avalanche, Batukhan couldn’t let me die, so he broke a lifetime of fear to save me. While with them, I noticed the camera Mr. Prinsep had shown me mo
nths before. When I questioned Batukhan, he said he had found it while digging me out and had brought it home for his son Bataar to play with. I asked if I could have it and was granted the gift.When I finally took my leave of the enjoyable family… (let me look in my billfold). Yes, here it is, I took a picture of Batukhan dressed in his Yeti suit and his 10 year old son, Bataar.
So, There’s my tale from my youth as a mountain climber/adventurer. What say ye, truth or lie?
The "Nature Tent," aye? Yes, I've had the unfortunate experience of finding myself gobsmacked in the "Nature Tent," and I can affirm that it is no bed of roses. But tell me, sir: why ever did you have to unlace your boots to... um... answer the call?
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the Yeti, I've heard that some savage tribes inhabiting Mar's Great Southern Plains have made it a point of ritual to dress up like evil spirits. After centuries of incense-laden ritual and bonfire traditions, the costumes smell so foul that the holy men that wear them are consigned to rude huts outside the villages when not dancing in the rituals. I suppose this was also the reason for the incense.
Did your man have his ancestor's costume, or was each generation tasked with making it anew?
What's more, weren't they afraid your camera would steal their soul?
And as an aside, who keeps pictures in their wallet? Doesn't the frame chap your arse?
Major,
ReplyDeleteMaybe in the colonies, they sleep with their boots on,I can't speak to that. In civilized countries, we take our boots off before climbing into our sleeping bags. So when the call of nature came, my boots were already unlaced, you see.
I honestly can't say if the costume was the original or not. Since the weather was cold and no sweat was apparent, and no incense was involved. I suppose it could have been. I didn't notice any particular odor. I wonder if Balormaa washed it occassionally?
I said that they were a people who chose to live by themselves, not that they were uncivilized. In fact I found them more civilized in their behavior than I later found the Russian army. As to the camera, I only had to explain its purpose and they not only accepted it, but hammed it up for the camera. Unfortunately, I dropped the camera in the snow( getting the plates wet)on my way out and this was the only picture that survuved.
As a side; I have a permanent square on that part of my anatomy that I use as a seat. Satisfied?
Where I'm from, sirrah - civilized or not - we have the good sense to sleep with our boots on when in the wild.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite surprised you wanted to expose your feet in any case, given the nocturnal temperatures on Everest.
Sir Doyle, I am most curious about this paste used on your feet to help cure your frostbite. Did you happen to discover what was used in the paste and if such plants can be found outside of the Andes mountains and also, are there other applications where it might be useful?
ReplyDeleteAlso, in your staying with this family, did you discover why they chose to live in the mountains south of China instead of going North back to Mongolia where they had originated? I'm must curious about their decision.
What a remarkable tale of good luck and timing. I am very curious about one detail that I am hoping you may clarify. How is it that the Yeti costume fit a human? I thought the Yeti was a gigantic creature. Were these people unnaturally large or were they of average size?
ReplyDeleteDr. Stanle
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I didn't get a recipe for the salve. I was too engrossed with the tales of their people and their ruse of the Yeti to think of the salve. I know that doesn't sound much like a doctor, but please remember I was only out of school one year without any actual experience in treating people. Many a time while serving in Her Majesty’s Army, I wished for the salve.
The family was the fourth generation in that location. They had grown up there and had intermarried. They had been taught that the world hated them so much that they had to hide to keep from being killed. I hope I had a little to do with offering them a different story to consider, but as of when I left they were still not convinced to come down from the mountain.
Lady Finley,
To answer your question concerning the height of the yeti, I can only tell you they were not only normal size, but were a little shorter than I am. I think we can safely say the story of the yeti is like many folk tales we heard over time, embellished just a tad. What?
Oh, my word! Please excuse my silence until this moment, I was astounded at the possibility you could survive such an...astounding...yes, well. ahem. Let me begin again. Good Sir, If you don't mind, I would very much like to know what this "suit" as you put it consisted of. Tanned skins of what animals? Did they have to leave the area for any reason or were they self contained on the mountain? How did they fight avalanche? With your experience told, they were apparently an issue to deal with.
ReplyDeleteWell, Sir Steven, that was another fine tale for the tea room! I quite enjoyed it and found the addition of photographic evidence lent a great deal of credence to your account. My only question is whether or not the truth about the yeti will put poor Batukhan's people in danger of attack. If the neighboring savages learn that the yeti was always a hoax, they might venture forth to kill the perpetrators for scaring the breeches off of them all these years! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteMs. Bevan,
ReplyDeleteIt is, as always, a pleasure to answer your questions. The suit was made entirely of mountain goat and mountain sheep skins. The head had a mixture of sheep skin and some kind of black (which I have never seen since, anywhere) clay and goat skin which gave it a multiple color look of black, white and tan. The eyes, nose and mouth were formed of this black clay and had a truly terrorizing appearance.
As to the self containment thing, I am not really sure. In the several months I spent with them while my feet healed, I never saw anything brought in except dead sheep or goat for meat, and some kind of plant that was cooked up in the meat stew. There were no potatoes or anything else I can recall.
As for avalanches, they dealt with them like anyone else. They rarely went out of their cave, which was quite large with tunnels leading off in several directions. It also had a small stream running through it so water was no problem.
Mr. Babyliss,
ReplyDeleteI am happy to report that outside of the people in this room, I have revealed nothing of the hoax of the Yeti. You see, I made a pact not to reveal these facts to anyone who could or would do them harm. I feel assured the all of you would feel honor bound to keep this glorious secret. What?