of the Valley of the Setlej River. 41 



winter, when it is frozen and sparkles like diamonds, the in- 

 flammation is very distressing and painful. 



" After quitting the great snow-bed, the road became ex- 

 tremely rough and difficult, leading over the scattered wrecks 

 of the cliffs and patches of melting snow, and along the edge 

 of a stream in a channel of solid ice. 



" The adjacent ridges are wholly limestone, without a ves- 

 tige of vegetation ; they are even deserted by the snow, and 

 exhibit an enormous extent of pure rock, and shoot into slen- 

 der summits of a great variety of forms. 



" We encamped at the foot of the slope that stretches from 

 the pass, where the glen takes a regular shape ; the stream 

 spreads out and ripples upon sand and pebbles ; the moun- 

 tains slant away, and some stunted vegetation appears at their 

 bases. 



" The elevation of the camp was 15,200 feet above the sea. 



" At sunrise of the following day the thermometer was at 

 31° ; but the night must have been colder, for the dew which 

 fell upon our bed-clothes (we had no tent) was so completely 

 frozen, that in the morning our blankets were as tough as the 

 hardest leather. 



" We proceeded towards Manes (distant six miles and a 

 quarter) through the dell that leads to Manerang pass, along 

 the bank of a rivulet which has its source amongst the snow- 

 beds in that direction. There is a good deal of soil and bush- 

 es, and we passed fine crops of wild leeks at the height of 

 15,000 feet. 



" Three miles and a half from camp we came to an open 

 valley, being an expanse of sand and pebbles. We followed 

 the stream till it entered a lake upwards of a mile wide ; and 

 here, leaving it to the right, we proceeded to Manes, winding 

 through low gravelly hills covered with tdma bushes. 



" Manes is a large village (of about fifty houses) in two 

 divisions, separated by a stream. It is elevated 11,900 feet 

 above the level of the sea, and lies on the right bank of the 

 Spiti river, 400 or 500 feet above its bed. 



" Around the village is some level soil, bearing crops of 

 wheat and barley, and (awd) Siberian barley, which do not 



