In the glen there were several springs of clear water, some with, others without, open basins. We climbed up to the second pass by means of a stony, tiring brae. The pass, which is only 40 m. higher than the bottom of the glen, is crowned by a cairn of stones. Then, after crossing over a little shallow valley, we came to yet another pass. Properly speaking it was a double pass, the northern division of it being the higher (5 12 3 m.). The view was not particularly extensive: all we could see was a chaos of mountains to the south and south-east, while to the east-south-east were lofty snowy peaks. From the pass we descended abruptly into a glen that contained a great number of marshes, pools, springs, and brooks, as also luxuriant grass. The surface was soft, though the slopes here and there were strewn with gravel and chips of sandstone. Here again there was a great quantity of yak-dung, as well as marks of encampments, where the nomads had stayed one or two days in the course of their wanderings; but we saw no signs of any longer visits. But from the cakes of yak-dung being in several places turned over, so as to dry better, it was evident that the nomads intended to return. We made Camp XLVIII, at an altitude of 5036 m., on the narrow isthmus, 70 m. across, between two pools of water.
At five o'clock it again began to rain fast, and so continued all night. Only once before do I remember to have seen it rain so violently and so fast, and that was at Asterabad on the Caspian in Persia.
On 3i st July we had a long ride of 42 km. towards the south-east. Ever since leaving the second pass of the day before we had been following a distinct track; and the farther we advanced the more frequented did it grow. After we left Camp XLVIII the grass thinned off, and in some places the marshy, boggy ground was quite bare. Next we crossed diagonally over a level »cauldron» valley; the ab-
IIIF Color HighRes
