MEET TIBETAN TRADERS 157 



was out of repair while I took the new road, which, still 

 descending, passes along curious little patches of flat ground 

 — sometimes covered with young grass and surrounded by 

 disrupted rocks. 



We camped on reaching the level of the stony valley, 

 through which the stream runs. The name of the place is 

 Nasman-Nisman. On the right edge of this valley are 

 peculiar-looking small hills, which decrease in size as they 

 descend along the slope ; my camp was under the first and 

 largest. "Were these brought here by glacial action ? That 

 is, are they moraines brought down and deposited at the 

 bottom of the valley, afterwards cut through into hillocks 

 by the action of streams, and then moulded into rounded 

 and conical mounds by the action of weather ? The 

 disrupted rocks along the road above may have been placed 

 in their present position by the same means. Marmot 

 burrows were plentiful after passing the second lake, and 

 several of the animals v/ere sitting about. 



The next camp was at Saichii near the bridge, distance 

 about nine miles, over a plain on which marmots were 

 numerous. The alluvial soil here has been cut down 

 to a great depth by the action of several streams, whose 

 waters all flow towards Zanskar and join that river. The 

 Zanskar valley can be easily reached in two marches by 

 followino; this stream. I met here more traders for the 

 Patsio market, with their laden sheep. The latter wore 

 their fleeces, and were fine large animals, very strong and 

 active, in splendid condition, and noticeable for their small, 

 well-shaped heads. The salt which the traders had was 

 bitter (fit only for cattle), collected at the numerous salt 

 lakes in Tibet. The good salt comes from Chakchaka, near 

 the Thok-jalung gold mines, far away in the Chang-thaug 

 — the great plain of Tibet. It is sold with profit as far 

 south as Kulu. 



