saw were only the places where they had halted for a day or two whilst travelling to better grazing-grounds east or west of our route. After emerging from the transverse glen, where I found again the same hard, close-grained variety of rock that I have last mentioned, the stream describes a wide curve to the east. Between it and our route were two small spurs stretching east and west. The altitude of a secondary pass in the more southerly of these reaches 4909 m. On its southern side the surface again falls away perceptibly towards the river. On the left side of the latter are low hills, amongst which wind several tributary brooks. At length we crossed over the main stream, at that point divided into several arms; its water was clear, the volume being only 1 cub.m. The stream then proceeds south-south-west and empties into a little lake, with flat shores, except on the south-east, where the mountains slope down towards it. Its extremely isolated situation in such a level valley suggested at once that its water must be salt. On its shores were a number of eagles, with some unfledged young ones. Continuing on past a smaller detached butte, we came to a spring-fed brook running towards the lake, though it was too feeble to be able to reach it. The altitude here was 4733 m. The lake may have had an altitude of 4700 m., which is rather lower than Tso-nek (4715 m.), the lowest point on the route that we followed towards Tengri-nor. We were now clearly approaching relatively lower parts of Tibet, although the relative differences of altitude did not amount to more than a couple of hundred meters.
Our stage of the 1st September produced in several respects a change in the monotonous circumstances under which we had lived for several days past. The weather still continued to be good. Although the wind blew hard from the north, the sky was covered with clouds; nevertheless it was only once or twice that we had a slight shower of rain or sleet. The surface was everywhere hard and bore readily, but was very broken. From our last camp we ascended very slowly, crossing at first over a countless number of small rainwater rivulets, all of which meandered down from the relatively low heights that rose immediately east of our route. They were from 1 foot up to 2 or 3 ni. in depth, and often had precipitous terraced sides. These tiny rivulets gradually united into bigger ones, and these last made their way into a little lake which lay some kilometers to the west, its shores white with crystallized salt. At length we reached the watercourse leading up to a convenient pass in the minor range which sends out its spurs northwards to the southern shore of the lake. The country was almost entirely barren. The highest summits east and west of the little pass were crowned with cairns of stones, plainly intended to mark where the range can be crossed. Here again we once more began to find indications of the presence of human beings, in that we came across several sites of encampments, though none of them recent. The altitude of the pass was 4809 m., that is, it was as high as the top of Mont Blanc, although it only reached wo m. above the level of the lake. The range therefore is quite an insignificant obstacle. The pass however forms a decided water-parting, for the glens on its southern side run down to a little lake in the east-south-east, the lowest depression in a fresh self-contained basin; but the range does not stand out with the same distinctness as the ranges which I have previously mentioned. It appeared rather to be a flat offshoot from a minor group of mountains, which probably in their
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