slowly falls eastwards, but still at a much steeper gradient than we had experienced for several days. We then followed the southern side of the principal watercourse. Here were several remains of Tibetan camps, and the usual stones for the cooking pot, tent stones, and sheepfolds. A little lower down we again passed a gold mine, where a little canal, about i oo m. in length, had been dug from the brook of the bed, and led to a furrow of flat stone plates on which the gold dust is washed out. Now there was only ice in the bed ; in the summer spring water is, no doubt, constantly running.
At the gold mine the valley begins to become as narrow as a gorge, very deep-cut and enclosed between nearly perpendicular rocks of no great height. Just east of Camp CCCXXXIX, the living rock consisted of dark quartz schist; just below the gold mine it was greenish grey sandstone, and east of it we had greyish red quartzitic sandstone. Somewhat lower down, the loose gravel of the valley consisted of yellowish white limestone and flint. Where the valley is at its narrowest or only 5 m. broad, we have to march on the ice in its bottom. Here and there the ice forms small cascades in which steps have to be made with the axes. After this we follow the northern side a bit. Some of the tributary valleys are very deep-cut, like gorges. Higher up the slopes to the south, the hills are more rounded and covered with grass, which, .however, becomes more scarce towards the end of the march. In the valley there is now an open spring and an extensive ice-sheet. On the top of the terrace at the left side we passed two big sheepfolds. At several points stone cairns had been built. Human signs became more common , and still the country remained as desolate and abandoned as ever. Once, not far from the last camp, we had seen quite fresh footprints of a man who had gone up into the valley of a southern tributary, where, perhaps, a tent was situated.
Finally our direction becomes S. E., we cross the ice a few times, and after that stick to the right side, crossing some small tributaries from the south. At an abandoned Tibetan camping place, there were heaps of sheep dung in the folds; very welcome, as no other fuel was to be found. The valley now becomes broader, and where the ice and the snow seemed to come to an end, we camped. Only from N. N. W. to S. E., the view was free. It is to be seen on Pan. 422, Tab. 77. Eastwards the country looked unusually easy and favourable for our march. For several days we would obviously have comfortable ground. The mountains E. N. E., were very far away, and no high peaks were visible at all. To the S. 79° E., there was, also a gap, through which no mountains at all could be seen in the distance. In spite of the strong wind, there was not much dust in the air, and even the farthest mountains could be clearly seen in light blue tints. Of wild animals, nothing but hares and a raven were seen in this region. In the night wolves were heard.
On February 27th, we made i 2.7 km. E. S. E., still descending 207 m. or to 4,669 m. (Camp CCCXLI), being at a rate of I :61. The minimum temperature
IIIFカラー高解像度
