crossing the outlet of the big, broad glen that debouches upon the bay, we macle a temporary camp at its western side, while we examined the base of the rocky spur. It turned out that it actually was impossible to advance. In two places the headland plunges vertically down into deep water, so that a man on foot could not possibly get past. The path that leads over the hindrance is a mere trifle for yaks, sheep, and men on foot, nor does it occasion any real difficulty to horses; but we had our camels to think of. The path climbs straight up the mountain side to the top and we had to sacrifice a couple of hours in making a zigzag track with axes and spades, and up it we then pushed and hauled our camels one by one. From a very awkward clay-slate knoll that lies half-way up to the pass I made the accompanÿing sketch (fig. 244) of the glen, looking down it and including the view across the bay and the lake, which, the snow having then ceased, lay spread out before me in all its glorious majesty. The path runs for the greater part of the way along the inner or northern side of a side-wing of the spur that terminates in the impassable headland. The summit of the pass is marked by a heap of stones, crowned with streamers on a pole. Thence the scene which unfolded itself was even more impressive: we commanded the entire north-western part of the lake, and saw how it is embedded between immense mountainous masses, clothed from base to summit with snow dropped by the last snowstorm. It was of course more particularly the southern shore of this peculiar lake, with its uniform breadth, which fettered our attention. It was easy to see that there exist on that side no difficult passages such as those which we had to surmount on the northern shore: the strip of strand is broad and level, though a great number of transverse glens, with gravelly screes, open out upon it. One of these is particularly large, and in the middle of it there was a gleam as of water. Right away at its head rises a chaos of gigantic crests, peaks, and chains. We were not however allowed to enjoy this fascinating spectacle for long, for the storm broke out again, and raged with unexampled violence, and in less than a minute we were chilled to the bone and almost frozen.
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