So IN TIB E T AND CHINESE TURKESTAN.
what direction to take. They promised to find suitable camping ground with abundance of water, but in this they did not always succeed. At Marchok (Camp 66) the animals had to be. provided with water obtained from melted snow. From this point, however, we had a view of a fairly large stream, and the prospect of camping
. beside it next day kept our spirits up. In the morning we looked for the stream, but could perceive no trace of
r it ; we climbed a stretch of rising ground which com- marided a view along the valley, but no running water could be seen. Yet we had not been deceived ; the river did exist, but flowed intermittently. At Chagnangma (Camp 67) we found that it was the habit of the stream to visit that spot about noon, and to continue its course during the rest of the day, but promptly to stop when night set in. This peculiarity was doubtless caused partly by the action of the sun on the ice or snow, and partly by the porous nature of the river-bed, but we had not time to make a minute investigation. We attempted to store water by constructing a small dam, in the hope of obtaining a pure supply. But our efforts were vain ; as the flow decreased the stored supply vanished through the ground, and we had to be • content with the muddy water which came at intervals with a rush as if from a newly-opened sluice.
We wished to ascertain the position of the place called Bundor, whose very existence now seemed doubtful, and was accepted, not on .the strength of the guide's assertions, but on the word of Nurbu, the shepherd, who told us that he had visited the place several times, going from Ladak.. We therefore sent Rainzan ahead on my riding pony, attended by one of-our guides, to reconnoitre, while Leno and I betook ourselves to the work of surveying. We- found some inconvenience from the want of heliographs. A small folding mirror had to serve the purpose,
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