LAST SIGHT OF THE INDUS VALLEY. 199
Camp CCLXI V was at 4,179 m. and Cas;zp CCLXV at 4,449 m., meaning a rise of 270 m. or at a rate of 1:89. It is to be noted that during the first 1 o km., the ground continued to fall, so that the rate of ascent was in reality somewhat steeper than I : 89.
During the last days, we had experienced a strong W. S. W. wind, but only at intervals and very irregularly and influenced by the mountains. I had the impression that the strong and regular W. S. W. wind that last winter had killed our animals on the Chang-tang, had not yet set in. It may, however, be that it does not develop all of its energy until it reaches the high open plateau of the Chang-tang.
ATesurma is a tributary from the left, Gyon and Lulzgun, valleys to the right. After crossing a cut-off bend of the river, the latter disappears from sight, and only a last glimpse of it is caught when it pierces the Ladak Range, with a peak called Dungti at its right. The bush vegetation ceases completely, but the grass steppe continues, occasionally interrupted by small patches of nearly barren violet, hard sand. In the mouth of a broad valley to the right, sand dunes have formed, reaching fairly high on the slopes of the surrounding mountains. In the main valley, there are no wandering dunes, only very low undulations of sand bound by grass. The soil then becomes soft and more uneven as it is modelled by wind erosion. In the background of the transverse Indus Valley a snow mass of moderate height is visible. So far a,s can be seen , the transverse valley of the Indus is directed to the S. 55° W., after which it again turns N. W. with the Ladak Range to its right.
Having crossed a dry watercourse from the left side, we begin to ascend the slowly rising slope of a barren scree of sand with fine gravel on its surface. Its boundary is very sharply drawn. To our left the belt of vegetation continued for some distance. To our right, is a little patch, like an island, of grass and bushes called Tama yaghg-ang. The road is comfortable, crossing absolutely barren ground. The snowy mountains of Pangg ong-tso are hidden by the rising ground in front of us. The erosion bed of the valley becomes deeper and narrower and its terraces more developed as we proceed. The right one is the best developed. At the point where we cross the stony bed, there is some vegetation. Some nzanis, called Salmenzani, are again passed. Here the height is 4,272 m.
The valley becomes narrower but runs straight N. W. as before. A glimpse backwards to the S. E. now shows us an endless perspective of the Indus Valley. Its floor has a yellow colour between the mountains, but the river cannot be seen. Lungnak is a valley to the right.
To our left is the little village of Salma with its low stone huts, walls and barley fields. It gets its supply of water from a spring, forming ice-sheets. In the bed of the main valley there is also some ice. The soil is now covered with gravel
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