Feb. 28, 1859.], IN THE ALA-TU AND AC-TU MOUNTAINS. 133 



were to ascend to tlie topof the cliffs. Here we had to dismount and lead 

 our horses over places even difficult to pass on foot, and in about an 

 hour we stood on the mountain slope, about 500 yards from the 

 brink of the precipices. We had now ascended to about 1000 

 feet above the valley, and this small difference in elevation had 

 effected a wonderful change. Instead of fine grass and luxuriant 

 herbage, short mossy turf and stunted plants covered the surface. 

 Among them I found' the rhododendron chrj^santhemum creeping 

 among the rocks, with its dark shining green leaves and large 

 bunches of beautiful yellow flowers. Even in sheltered situations, 

 this plant never exceeds three feet in height. I have often found it 

 spreading over a large space, and covering the rocks with its ever- 

 green foliage. A dwarf-cedar was also trailing its branches among 

 the masses of granite, extending to the length of fifty paces. The 

 stems and branches were twisted about the rocks, like huge serpents 

 coiling round them. 



Our guide now led the way towards the crest of the ridge. After 

 riding more than an hour we left vegetation behind us, and began 

 to pick our slow and toilsome way over a rough and stony region. 

 At length we reached enormous masses of green slate, shooting up 

 into high pinnacles, so smooth and perpendicular that they can 

 never be ascended. Passing round to the southward of these, we 

 came upon a scene of terrible disruption and desolation, where rocks 

 had been uprooted and hurled down into one chaotic mass of a most 

 fearful effect, extending to the brink of a vast rent that had cut the 

 mountain asunder. A terrible convulsion must have taken place 

 here, rending the mountains in twain and forming chasms into 

 which the boldest man cannot look without feelings of dread. 



Having spent a short time contemplating this wonderful scene, 

 we left the spot and rode along the edge of the fallen rocks for about 

 two miles. At length we arrived on the brink of the ravine where 

 it descended in a series of deep precipices ; bej^ond this point our 

 horses could not go, and here we had to part with our friends. 

 Before separating we sat down at a little spring and eat our simple 

 dinner — a few small pieces of hard Kirghis cheese washed down by 

 water from the rill. Game is not abundant in this region ; during the 

 whole of our ride we had only seen two small herds of argali, and in 

 both instances they were far out of the range of our rifles. 



Our guide did not permit us to sit long — he urged our speedy 

 departure, knowing the difficulties we had to encounter. The way 

 was downward in an oblique direction for about 200 paces, after 

 which we turned the steep rocks, clinging as well as we could 

 to the projecting points. Having gained a narrow ledge, extending 



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