| The S. W. wind was continuing with annihilating force and finely divided solid material was again swept towards the N. E. Every day this continuous transport could be observed and felt, — even the food was mixed with dust and fine sand. In the denudation and levelling of the Tibetan plateau-land, the wind is a factor of enormous importance. All the fine material is swept away and will at some other place serve for filling up basins. During these storms of the late autumn the sky, however, remained clear and blue as turquoise, and the sunshine was so sharp that even the Ladakis had to protect their eyes. The country appeared in red and yellow tints. Grass and yapkak plants were growing nearly everywhere, only the erosion furrows and the plain near the next lake, were barren. To follow the valley of Camp LIV proved to be impossible. Our scouts reported that it rose to the south and led to mountainous regions impracticable for our weak animals. We, therefore, went down to the E. S. E., following the beaten road at the right slopes of our valley, in the bed of which there was ice at several places. The road goes into all side valleys and out around projecting slopes, and its height above the bed of the valley increases gradually. The red slopes at the left side are very steep ; on the right side, more moderate. In the mouth of our little tributary from the right there was a round stone wall, a fireplace and the skeleton of a yak. In another valley there were again sand mounds of gold-diggers. They were seen at several places along the principal valley. Our direction turns gradually to the S. E. and S. S. E. At the same time our route diverges more and more from the main valley which is becoming more open and finally opens out in the plain, where its watercourse turns S. E. and S. S. E. to the next lake. Our road goes up and down over tiring hill slopes with moderate heights at our right, consisting of nothing but detritus, red sand and gravel. These hills by and by become more steep, and often appear in curious formations of shelves and terraces. Finally, they become nearly perpendicular walls of red fine-grained calcareous sandstone together with conglomerate. The sandstone mountains are here pierced by a series of rather deep and fatiguing valleys opening to the plain and directed to the lake which now is partly visible. One of these valleys was easily 5o m. deep, and to reach its bottom, one had to follow the zigzags of the steep, native road. This valley comes from a considerable part of the red mountain group and from S. 65° W. It is bounded by steep, partly perpendicular walls of sandstone and conglomerate containing layers of rock salt. Lower down in the gorge solid rock is not visible. At the point where the road crosses the valley and just below an extensive ice-sheet, several springs come up, the warmest of them having a temperature of + 4.0°. Some were salt, but most of them were quite fresh. They join to form a little brook which on account of the high temperature of the water keeps running some distance down the gorge which here is bounded by steep banks 12. IV. | | | | |
IIIFカラー高解像度
