94 THE FIRST TIBETAN HUNTERS.
The tent had been pitched here 17 days before. The family came from Gertse and had been 25 short days on the way. They had 5 yaks and about 20 sheep and used to stay at Lungnak for three months hunting yaks, kyangs and antelopes and living exclusively from their flesh and from tea. We had not seen a single human being in 79 days. In spite of our finding comparatively favourable ground nearly the whole way, we had lost 65 out of 94 ponies and mules, and less than a third were left. I made the observation that nothing was so dangerous for the animals as the strong S. W. wind. At Camp LIX, for instance, three of the best ponies died in spite of an unusually high minimum temperature of — 16.3°, but a regular storm had been blowing for some 4o hours. During these severe storms the animals do not eat, which contributes to their weakness. It is a long way across the Tibetan highlands ! From one day to another the animals get weaker, and finally it comes to a point where their forces give way altogether. This moment is critical and it must be avoided until nomads are reached. It may, therefore, be a question of whether it would not be better to start two months earlier, though then another road must be taken as the Chang-claenmo cannot be crossed in summer. The treacherous soil which is like a quagmire when barren, is, as I have said before, a great hindrance in summer. But, on the other hand, the grass is soft and fresh' and the animals may be kept in a better condition. I, therefore, believe that, taking everything into consideration, the summer and autumn is the best time for crossing the high plateau-land.
Our march from Lungnak, Camp LIX, to Gomo, Camp LX, accomplished on November 12M, took us 16.3 km. S. E. The latter place being at 4,843 m., was thus 149 m. below the first, and the descent was as I : 109, or a very insignificant gradient as usual.
At Camp LIX the rock was green albite-amphibolite which continued some distance in the direction of our route. The watercourse of the Lung-nak valley had a considerable bed filled with gravel and ice. Lake Gomo-tsaka is left to the left at a distance of a few miles. It is situated in a very flat basin and is surrounded by plains. The hills north, N. E. and east of it are rather low. The peak covered with some snow and mentioned above, is now left to our right. A comparatively large valley or gorge seems to come from it and to go to the lake. The water-
course of another valley from the range, the base of which we followed on soft undulated hilly ground, had, at its left side, an erosion terrace 4 or 5 m. high. Protected by it, two sheepfolds had been built of stone, and much sheep-dung was left in them. Higher up there was a place for gold-digging; its name was later on said to be Selung- (or perhaps Serlung). We leave them, to cross two very tiring hill-slopes. One has to ride up to their tops and then down into deep valleys between them. They consist of fine dust covered with grass and their soil is pierced by millions of rabbits' holes. The ponies are sinking in them at every three or four
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