8 FROM CENTRAL TIBET TO LADAK.
few conjoin two and two before entering the lake. On the west shore rise flat, rounded hills. The outline of the lake is so far unusual, that it is elongated from north to south; that is to say it lies athwart the latitudinal valley, and thus parallel to the recently mentioned meridional range. This lake appeared to be situated in the same latitudinal valley as Camp XLVII, though that valley is neither distinct nor continuous, but is interrupted at intervals by smaller buttes and hills. We did not see hard rock anywhere during this day's march. Camp LXVII was situated at an altitude of 4910 m.
August 28th. The rainy season appeared to have passed its climax, and the fine days were beginning to return. It seemed to be characteristic of this season, that the mornings were perfectly bright, indeed burning hot, but from noon onwards the sky was veiled with thick clouds. So it was to-day: after a still and glorious morning, the sky about II o'clock became all at once clouded, nor did the clouds lift during the rest of the day. The only inconvenience that they caused us consisted in the cold, raw shade they threw, and the occasional gusts of wind now from one direction, now from another ; but it was very seldom that we had a hasty shower of hail or snow. This day the country was unfavourable for marching, not because it was marshy, for now only the depressions were boggy, as well as the level ground and the slopes facing north, but it was difficult because of its broken character. We found in our path several small ranges and stretches of hills, the passes in which were, it is true, quite easy; but none the less it was a difficult country for our emaciated animals. The relative differences of altitude were quite insignificant and all the slopes were flat. Generally we kept at a score or so of meters above the 5000 meters contour-line. These ridges too consisted of soft disintegrated material, with the thinnest sprinkling of grass on them. We only saw hard rock in the distance, and on the higher summits; along our actual route the only place in which we discovered it was on the highest pass: that was a hard crystalline schist dipping 45° S.
Camp LXVII was situated on the left bank of a larger eroded watercourse, coming from the range that borders our glen on the south. The stream in it carried in the morning a volume of I to 2 cub.meters. We followed it up towards the south-east, marching the whole of the time in the bed of the stream, for that was the only place in which the ground would bear the weight of the caravan, the surrounding slopes being soft and treacherous. In one or two places we found indications of yak-hunters' encampments. The next pass was easy, being rounded in form, and had an altitude of 5048 m. The prospect towards the south was not very encouraging. Immediately below us was a shallow cauldron valley, bounded on the south by a fresh short range. This we thought we might get round on the south-west; but as the ground in that direction refused to support us, we turned off to the south-east. In the eastern part of the new valley some small rivulets united to form a brook, which proceeds towards the west, either to enter some self-contained lake or else to pierce the low hills which in that direction terminated the view. This brook, which was carrying a volume of half a cubic meter, guided us up to a minor threshold in a secondary spur of the southern range, and after that we had a gentle ascent to the pass proper, the altitude of which was 5089 m. As we stood on the
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