Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 251 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

0251	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. VIII.] A BARRIER OF MOUNTAINS. 209

and thus afforded an outlet to the dammed-up

waters.

This plain, which was covered with jungle of

dwarf birch and willow or poplar, extended for

about two miles. At a couple of miles from

the gorge, and again at about nine miles,

considerable streams flow in on the right bank

of the Surakwat, and, at a mile from the last,

two more narrow gorges were passed through ;

though here again, on my journey up here in

1889, we succeeded in making a road round to

circumvent them. It was altogether a bad

day's march for both men and ponies, but at

last, toward evening, we found the valley

opening to a wide plain, with plenty of scrub

on it, where we encamped for the night.

Before us rose a great wall of snowy moun-

tains, with not the very smallest sign of a pass,

though the guide said we should have to cross

them on the following day. I felt some

misgivings on looking at this barrier which

now stopped our way, for the guide frankly

confessed that he had forgotten the way across,

and of course there was no sign of a path to

guide us. He said, however, that possibly, as

we got nearer, he might remember which

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