THE LAST PASSES. 327
valley. We cross an irrigation canal going to the village, Tangmet, the fields of which are situated on a natural platform at a considerable height above the valley. Just below this village, the river is crossed on a wooden bridge.
The Tomlang-tsangpo had now some I o cub. m. per second of nearly clear water, roaring between blocks in its bed. Just here, it receives a tributary from the west; in the near background of its valley is a rocky group without snow. On the right terrace of this valley, is the little village of Pera with fields, and several manis and chortens of the kind that are numerous in these regions. The road is bad and partly difficult. We climb the steep slopes on the right side of the Tomlang- River. To our left is the nearly vertical fall down to the river. From a little threshold called Puga-la, the road finally goes in innumerable zigzags down to the little village of Puge, with its houses, fields and a few willows, situated on a terrace, like a platform, above the river. From here the road is like a cornice along the hills, and from a second little threshold, goes down to the village of Yer, with very extensive fields on the left side of a tributary valley from the right. Mani walls and chortens are numerous. The brook of the tributary valley carried some 6 or 8 cub. m. per second, and has a bridge. The living rock now consists of quartzite, mica-schist, gneiss and phyllitic schists, sometimes pierced with pegmatite and granite.
On August 25th, we made only 9.2 km. to the S. W., but in this short distance, we had to rise 395 m. to the 4,173 m. of Rong-totke - la, and thence to descend 1,191 m. to Camp CCCCLXXXII, the rise being at a rate of I : 13.7 and the fall being at the enormously steep gradient of I : 3.2!
Just below Yer, we pass the village, Tsar, also situated on a terrace with extensive cultivation. At the foot of a little hill with willows, is a monastery called Shinggun -gompa. Near it and a little higher, is the village of Pude. Then the road crosses the brook of a tributary with a bridge. From here the ascent begins. To our left is the village of Niru. We now have to cross the steep and mighty mountain spur that is projecting between the Satlej and its tributary, Tomlang-tsangpo, which we had followed since Tag-ha. Along both rivers, a path was said to exist, which could only be used by men on foot. On the top of Rongtotke-la, there is a mani. The view is magnificent. Below our feet is the majestic Satlej in its deep, narrow valley between wild rocks. So far as can be seen, the river here comes from the S. 35° E. where its deep, winding valley is seen between the mountains. To the W. S. W. the village of Shipki is seen with its fields. And beyond the village, the Shipki - la is visible in a very mighty ramification of the southern mountains. On the range of Shipki - la, there were only a few strips of snow. It takes a long time to go down the 1,191 m. from the pass to the right bank of the Satlej, where we camped on a meadow near the village and bridge of Lopchak. The latter is 7.9 m. above the Satlej and the river has here a breadth of only 2 2.45 m.
IIIFカラー高解像度
