Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 256 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

0256	Among the Celestials : vol.1

214 AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. VIII.

" shoot " in the cliff. It was very steep and

rocky, but by unloading the ponies, and putting

one man on to lead each in front and two others

to hold on to the tail behind, we managed to

let the ponies down one by one, and after a

good deal of labour found ourselves, bag and

baggage, on the edge of a river, which in some

ways might be considered the main branch of

the Yarkand River.

This tributary, which the Baltis with me

called the Shaksgam, but which the Kirghiz

seem to know as the Oprang, was previously

unknown. It rises among the glaciers of the

main watershed. Two years later I followed

it down to its junction with the other branch of

the Yarkand River.

We continued down the valley of the Oprang

(Shaksgam) River, till we came to another

stream, which my Baltis called the Sarpo Laggo,

flowing down from the main range and joining

it on the left bank. This we ascended till we

reached a patch of jungle called Suget Jangal.

Just before arriving there I chanced to look up

rather suddenly, and a sight met my eyes which

fairly staggered me. We had just turned a

corner which brought into view, on the left

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