THE TSO-NGOMBO LAKES. 273
Soon after leaving camp we found that the flat shore narrowed suddenly, the grey gravel-and-shingle terraces leaving but a mere fringing strip next the lake. At the foot of the terraces there issues a spring, which gives rise to a couple of small open basins. Springs burst out here along the actual water-line, and an occasional »lane» through the ice betrayed that others gush up in the bottom of the lake itself. We were now able to see the western side of the little mountain bluff; it, as also the southern side, goes steeply down into the water, but on the other two sides, the north and east, is the level ground on which the bushes were growing. On the north there opens out a not inconsiderable glen, squeezed in between rather big mountainous offshoots; it was plain to see that it was made up of several converging glens. Leaving the island behind us, and with it also the smaller detached bluffs on the southern shore we bore away from the lake side and struck in between two quite independent ridges. By this the lake had contracted to its smallest, and finally it terminates in a quite short river-arm, or rather a sound, which
connects it with the next lake-basin. . We then followed the northern shore of the new basin towards the north-west. The sound was quite free from ice, but the new basin was frozen over. This is quite insignificant in size, and soon ends in a point. Along its southern shore runs a range of moderate elevation, seamed with a number
of transverse glens; while on its northern shore is a, quite small range. Between the latter and the water the strand is level and the path distinct. Another river-arm proceeds out of the western extremity of this basin, being a continuation of the other already mentioned; it is composed partly of the Tsanger-schar and partly of water from innumerable springs that issues into the extreme eastern section of the Tso-ngombo. This river-arm meanders slightly, but otherwise is inconceivably regular in its formation; in fact it resembles an artificially made canal, being about i 2 m. broad, and with an average of about 3 m. in depth. There was a decided current, though its velocity was barely more than one or two decimeters. The water was as bright as crystal and of various shades of lovely emerald green. Its bottom appeared to consist entirely of yellow sand, occasionally overgrown with Algae; in point of relief however it is very irregular, containing numerous deep pits into which the fish were collected. The accompanying illustration (fig. i 70) gives a view of it both in cross-section and in longitudinal section. Two dm. above the then existing level was a beach-line, showing that the lake was at that season dropping. There were
He d in, Tourney in Central Asia. I V. 35
IIIF Color HighRes
