154 MR. W. B. HEMSLEY ON THE 
state of their mules, they were forced to camp at the summit of 
a pass, 16,614 ft. high. There was no grass, but certain hardy 
plants occurred here and there. On the following morning they 
were astonished at finding nine of the mules dead. No sugges- 
tion is made as to the probable cause. In consequence, every- 
thing that could be spared had to be left, and they proceeded a 
sadly reduced party, living on kiang (wild ass) and wild onions, 
when they could be found. On Aug. 22nd they arrived at a 
magnificent fresh-water lake (camp 93, in about 92° 30' and 
35° 30'), where rich green grass was abundant and flowers 
plentiful ; wild yak and kiang, water-fowl and hares, likewise, 
and the travellers describe it as an artist’s and sportsman’s 
paradise. The lake was about twenty-three miles long, and 
four miles broad in places. At 7 P.M., although nearly 16,000 ft. 
above the sea-level, the thermometer registered nearly 50° Fabr., 
and during the night it only just froze. Near here they fell m 
with a caravan of merchants, after marching fourteen weeks and 
traversing nearly 1000 miles without seeing a sign of mankind. 
On September 14th they encountered the first brushwood since 
leaving Niagzu, near Leh, and camped on the right bank of the 
river Shugatza or Shuga Gol, where there was good grazing. At 
Namoran Gol (about 97° and 36° 20’) they found wild currants 
and other berries. Thence they travelled along the north side 
of the Koko Nor and onward through Kumbum, Sining, and 
Lanchau to the Huangho, and through China. 
The collection of dried plants comprises between sixty and 
seventy species, all carefully labelled with date, approximate 
altitude, longitude and latitude, colour of flowers, ete. 
Only two species, Astragalus Malcolmii,, Hemsl. & Pears., 
and Saussurea Wellbyi, Hems]. (Hooker’s ‘ Icones Plantarum,’ 
t. 2588), proved different from anything ir the Kew Herbarium. 
One other, it is true, had not been previously described, 80 
far as we have been able to ascertain. This is Pewcedanum 
Malcolmiz, Hemsl. & Pears., also collected by Hedin. 
Fifty species of this small collection were obtained at altitudes 
of above 16,000 ft., and four of them at 17,000 ft. and upwards. 
These are Cochlearia scapiflora, Thylacospermum ruptifragrum, 
Allium Semenovii, and a very dwarf species of Festuca, pr obably 
F. valesiaca. The Allium is doubtless the onion referred ‘o in 
the letter published in the ‘ Geographical Journal,’ ix. Pp. 216, 
where it is stated that they ate quantities of wild onions, which 
