500 THE DASH FOR LHASA.
contributories, some of which contained water, derived from springs in the vicinity. On the other hand there was no water in any of the side-glens which came down from the right; but then the mountain-spur on that side exhibited no traces of snow. The predominant colour of the scenery was red, red sandstone and red conglomerate predominating. The dip appeared on the whole to be about 25° towards the SSE. As a rule the prevailing formation was soft, finely sifted material, though gravel and small fragments of rock also occurred. The grass here was not so good as at Camp XLIV, being luxuriant only in the side-glens that contained water. The tracts around the mouths of three small brooks were in especial green with grass, and there we saw signs of Tibetan encampments. Several yak skulls, and the entire skeleton of a yak, tolerably fresh, bore witness to the fact that the locality was visited by hunters; traces of a bear were also found. We looked, but looked in vain, for some low pass across the spur on the south, and consequently had to keep following on down the glen; and indeed it soon appeared that this was the only right road. In two or three places cairns of stones were built up to indicate where the fords cross the river. From this I infer that the river sometimes swells to such an extent that it can only be forded at certain places; but at the best the high flood will only last one or two days. The bottom of the glen is full of gravel, and in some places is marshy and treacherous. Hence we left it and preferred to travel on the slopes, although in consequence of the innumerable gullies it was weary work. At intervals in the lower part of the glen there were open basins of spring-water. At length we crossed over the last of the great windings of the river, the mountains receded, and our glen debouched upon an immense open space, a plain entirely encircled by mountains, though it was the most open towards the east and south-east. On the north was the great range in which is the pass surrounded by glaciers. From our present position it was less impressive in appearance, partly because the glen in which we were was higher than the latitudinal valley on the north side of the range and partly because the amount of snow is far less on the south side of the summit than on the north.
Directly we emerged from the glen we turned our faces towards the southeast and crossed the plain diagonally; the river, keeping to the north, soon became lost to sight. So far as it was possible to follow its course, it appeared to be directed to the N. 52° E., and in the E.N.E. we observed the entrance to the broad latitudinal valley through which the lower part of the river flows. Where it goes to I was unable to make out either on that occasion or subsequently; probably it describes a curve towards the east and south-east, and enters a salt lake which we came to a day's journey farther on. Farther on too there rises on the right or southern bank of the river a low and inconspicuous range which shuts in the plain on the east. On the north the river is however bounded by the great mountain-range, with its ramifications and offshoots, pierced at intervals by glens, and containing streams which descend from the main range and manifestly enter our river.
On the south of the plain there are likewise relatively low mountains, with a couple of gaps or breaches to the south-west, no doubt the entrances of glens which run parallel to the east-west main valley, or even simply form part of it. The surface of the plain had dried since the last downfall, and was hard and excellent,
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