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Journey to Thibet ground and his leg broken. Not desiring to return to Leh, he ordered his porters to carry him to the Himis monastery, where he was received and kindly cared for.
M. Notovitch says: “In the morning I bandaged my leg with small oblong sticks which I tied together with a cord. I tried to make no superfluous movements; a favourable result was soon apparent; two days afterwards I was in a condition to leave the Gonpa and to undertake a slow journey towards India to find a doctor.
"While a young boy kept twirling all the time the prayer-wheel which was near my bed, the venerable old man who superintended the Gonpa entertained me with interesting stories; he often drew from their cases my alarm-clock and my watch asking me how to wind them up and what their use was. Acceding finally to my urgent requests he brought me two large bound books whose large leaves of paper had become yellow by time; he then read lo me the biography of Issa which I wrote down carefully in my note-book according to the translation which my interpreter made for me. This curious document is written in the form of isolated verses which very often have no connection with one another.
"The third day my health was so much improved that it allowed me to continue my journey. After having dressed my leg I turned back crossing Kashmir on my way to India. **** I have long since desired to publish the life of Jesus Christ which I found
at Himis and of which I have spoken above; but all kinds of · business have completely taken up my time. It is only to-day after
having spent long restless nights in arranging my notes, after having suitably grouped the verses in accordance with the narrative and impressed upon the whole the character of unity that I resolved to publish THIS curious copy."
