CHAP. xIII.] START FROM KARANGHU-TAGH 217
encouraging. They acknowledged that a little settlement existed in the Omsha Jilga, one march up the main valley, and that a path accessible to yaks led beyond to a point where a hot spring flows into the river. But after this no possible track could be found through the mountains. Whether this was true or not could be made certain only by personal inspection. Yaks were to carry the indispensable baggage and to serve as riding animals for myself and my men. The ponies which had been severely tried by the preceding marches were to remain at Karanghu-tagh in charge of Niaz Akhun, the Chinese interpreter. He had complained of the hardships previously experienced. It was easier for me to part with him than with ` Yolchi Beg,' my little terrier. He had bravely kept up so far, but the long marches had evidently told on him, and a rest would give him fresh strength for the fatigues still before us.
By 10 a.m. on the 25th of October the yaks were packed and the caravan was ready to start. With each animal I took a hill-man to guide it. Yaks are as sluggish as they are sure-footed, and without a • man to drag each animal by the rope which is passed through its muzzle the rate of progress would be amazingly slow. I arranged that each man should be provided with food for ten days, and secured extra yaks to carry these rations. Karanghu-tagh has perhaps never seen so grand a procession as when my caravan set out on the march. The whole village turned out to witness the spectacle.
After passing down the Kash valley for about two miles we struck to the east, and, crossing the spur I had before ascended, moved into the side-valley of Busat. Not far from the point where it bifurcates into two narrow gorges leading up to the mountain wall southwards, the path ascended a high cross-spur. From its top, at an elevation of close on 12,000 feet, the glaciers of the great Murtagh, and all the gorges leading down to the main stream, were visible in great clearness. So the photo-theodolite was brought to work again, though the weather was
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