168 WESTWARDS TO LADAK.
the desiccation of the climate has advanced much more rapidly of late than it did formerly. During the period which resulted in the creation of the eighth beach-line the lake maintained its level for a relatively long period ; but since then it has stood at each successive lower level an increasingly shorter period, and consequently has not been able to incise more than faint marks on the acclivities which surround it. The whole of the bay which penetrated up beside the mountain on the versant of which these lines are indicated is now entirely dried up, except for a slight remnant, and the no doubt very shallow basin of the lake that still survives will assuredly in due time disappear also. Of course there may have been oscillations, in the course of which the lake will have risen to one of the older beach-lines, but on the whole these indicate that the lake has been constantly shrinking, and this process became all the more pronounced in proportion as it dropped from the higher to the lower levels, the rate of subsidence having progressively increased. Although the higher beach-lines were thus for a longer period exposed to the influence of the weather, nevertheless in consequence of their great development they possessed so great a power of resistance that even to-day they are incomparably bigger than those which lie below them.
From the line at 133 m. we enjoyed an excellent general view of the northwestern, western, and southern parts of the Lakor-tso, though we were unable to see its eastern section, owing to its penetrating into the lowest part of the great latitudinal valley. The northern and western shores are in general more mountainous than the eastern and southern. On the west side in especial the mountains plunge down steeply into the lake, although even there they leave room for a narrow strip of shore between their own foot and the existing water-line. That strip is of a white colour, and sends out capes which bore (from us) N. 35° E., N. 39° E., and N. 41 I/2° E. To the N. 49° E. we noted the promontory that juts out from the mountain with the beach-lines. The parts of the lake that were then visible to us extended from N. 9° E. to N. 63° E. The mountains exhibited tints of reddish yellow and brown, which, when contrasted with the white of the gypsum and the green waters of the lake, imparted a great richness of colouring and variety of effect to the entire scene; while above the whole stretched the vault of the sky, light blue and without a speck of cloud to mar its purity. And yet, in spite of this freshness of colouring, the scene was strangely chilly, lifeless, and desolate.
I would recommend any future expedition, that may be sufficiently equipped to admit of its making a prolonged stay in this region, to map in detail the basin of the Lakor-tso and determine by accurate measurement the positions of the old abrasion-levels and beach-lines. A map on which all these concentric lines are entered would give an especially clear idea of the shrinkage of the lake and of the variations of shape which it has successively undergone. Yaks only ought to be taken, and the visit should be macle in summer, when the grass is ripe.
In my note-book dealing with this part of Tibet I have written on 2 I St Oct. the following sentences: »During this day's march it was plain to see that on all the slopes facing west the beach-lines and abrasion-terraces are much more strongly developed than they are on the slopes that face east, where, especially on the very soft material, they are not at all noticeable. On the slopes that face north or south
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