DR. AIXCUISON ON THE TLOIIA Or LAHUL. 71 



tliemselves and chiefly for their cattle ; an early season therefore 

 is hailed and looked forward to with great joy. The natives at 

 this time make use largely of the young leaves of the dandelion, 

 and many other plants, cooked in the form of spinach, more 

 especially the young leaves of No. 85, Eremurus spectalilisy Bieh., 



wliich grows in great luxuriance in particular localities. This 

 was considered hy the Mission a very good vegetable. 



Eain, in but very small quantities, falls through the summer 

 from May to September. During 1864 for three months the rain- 

 gauge at Kyelang marked less than nine-tenths of an inch ; but 

 it must be remembered that this was an unusually dry season. 



Ploughing and sowing are carried out extensively in May. 



The harvest is collected about the middle of September ; and 

 frost begins to be felt early in October, not unfrequently in the 

 latter part of September. From this time the temperature very 

 gradually begins to fall ; and snow not unfrequently makes its 

 appearance about the middle of October. This, however, is only 

 the forerunner of winter, as usually, on the whole, October, No- 

 vember, and December are lovely, clear, dry, frosty months. The 

 great snow-falls introducing dead winter occur about the beginning 

 or middle of January; and from this time to the beginning or 

 middle of April the vast expanse of country is one mass of snow, 

 the people for these four months being all but confined to their 



houses. 



Ice does not occur upon any of the streams, from the great 

 rapidity with which they runj occasionally, however, on their 



edges a little may be found. 



Eelative to the snow-limit of this district we would refer the 

 reader to Cunningham * on Ladak and the surrounding coun- 

 tries.' 



At 16,000 feet, the Bara-Lacha pass, during July, August, and 



perhaps September, may be crossed without passing through or 

 touching snow. The top of the Kardang hill, of an elevation 

 of 15,000 feet (from a rough trigonometrical measurement), in 

 ordinary years is free of snow in July, beginning again to be 



covered in October. 



A snow bridge has now existed for several years at 15,000 feet, 

 not far from the Bara-Lacha pass. 



The general appearance of the Lahul valley, up to 10,000 feet, in 

 midsummer is that of being richly cultivated and very verdant ; but 

 to keep up this appearance, an easy access to and a liberal supply 

 of water for the irrigation of the crops under cultivation is essen- 



