Yul Bash—Guides entrapped—Ascent up glacier—The Maniakul • ; Pass—Trying observations— Exposure—The descent—Zâmbôk frozen to death—Long march—Travelling in-the dark—Misgaxi Difficult march—Raskam—Lazy yak-men—Object aicomplisbed . —Lengthy détour—Precipitous ascent t6 - Topa Dawan:-Good news—Yul Bash the liar—Accident to yak—Return route—Tents useless—Ram Singh does good work—Natives refuse information —Paying off the yak-men—Issok Buloli Agzi.
acquainted with both, I seemed to have a fair chance of reaching my goal. Of the routes I knew _nothing, an betwéen them I could make no choice, while; as to the guides, I quite understood-.that truth-speaking was not among their accomplishments. However, 'though: Yul Bash, a man of marked individuality, persistently dis claimed all knowledge of both `routés, I put myself with some confidence in his hands, believing that, for reasons of his own, he was understating his qualifications.. A. company of Kirghiz had set out the day before 'on -the-- route up the valley, and had crôssed the high pass -at. its' head, and this route Yul Bash urged me to follow. .I had. had experience of this man's falsehood,. but _knew no other reason why I should not in this matter take his advice ; so I prepared to set out in the morning. Round Pilipert the country was free from snow, but up the
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