| 5 cub. m. per second. On its other side, the road enters a gorge just to the right of the gompa. The valley rises to more open and undulated ground of gravel and sand. A flat threshold opens the view to the next valley to which the descent is gradual. Its name is Choktse, higher up, Surkang. The valley has a brook and is comparatively broad. Barley is cultivated. The natives have also sheep and some cattle, but no yaks. They are agriculturists not nomads. In the course of the day, some of the common highland animals were seen, as kyangs and marmots. N. W. of this place, we have to traverse a new protuberance of loose deposits before we reach the next valley, which is a small tributary to the Choktse. From this valley we have to ascend to the pass of 4,486 m., after which there follows a bit of undulated ground, from which we behold the monastery of Rabgyäling-gompa, situated, like the previous ones, on a hill on the right side of the next valley; at the foot is the village of the same name. The brook of the valley now had clear water, indicating that no rain had fallen in its area the last days. On August r9th, we travelled 13.2 km. W. N. W., rising from 4,166 m. to 4,300 m. or 134 m., being a rate of 1:98. The same morphological features, as usual, prevail. The road goes up steep hills, leaving to its right a deep-cut gorge, on the other side of which the gompa is situated on the top of its dangerous terrace of pebble and shingle. On the top of the next protuberance, the road is comfortable between clay hills, in ravines and along cornishes, but soon it again goes down to a considerable valley with houses and barley fields on both sides of the road. This extensive valley, directed to the S. W., as usual, is called Rildigyok in its upper course and Chang-tang in its lower. From its little brook we ascend the next protuberance, the road being as steep as on the eastern side. On the top of this protuberance we have to cross several deep and wild ravines, tributary to Rildigyok. Two of them were comparatively large and took time to cross. Camp CCCCLXXVI was pitched in a valley called Karu-sing with grass and a spring, but no inhabitants and no cultivation. This valley forms a shallow depression in this plateau-land. On August 20th, we had 10.8 km. to accomplish in a W. S. W. and S. W. direction rising from 4,300 m. to 4,478 m., or 178 m. being at a rate of 1: 61. We were at a considerable height and in the nights, the temperature was very near the freezing point. But we also were at a considerable distance from the deep valley of the Satlej. Only along the large river, there is a constant fall towards India. On our road we have to cross all its northern tributaries and the protuberances between them. Therefore, it is continually up and down, and never a plain or a maidan gives a rest. One has hardly crossed one of these tributary valleys, when the next appears at a short distance. Therefore, the road becomes twice as long as it is, as the crow flies. And the interminable ascents and descents are very fatiguing to the animals. The valleys are chiefly cut down through deposits of clay | | |
IIIFカラー高解像度
