i6o THE JOURNEY TO LADAKH 



fallen bodily down into the valley, and blocked up the 

 course of a stream which enters it on the left, and which for 

 some distance runs under the debris, and the road zigzags 

 down among these ruins in a very rough fashion. There 

 were some sweet-smelling plants at this place : at a dis- 

 tance the faint odour was delicious ; but when I went 

 down and plucked a few stalks, the smell was very strong 

 and decidedly disagreeable — something like the strong- 

 smelling sacred Hindu plant called the tulsi. Perhaps 

 these strong odours, at such high elevations, have given 

 rise to the native idea that the traveller becomes faint 

 and ill through inhaling them when crossing passes. A 

 little farther on we came to a green patch by the side 

 of the stream, overhung by a conspicuous and peculiarly- 

 pointed hill, called Gagnajal. The valley gradually opens 

 out from this point, and is bounded by huge rounded 

 mountain sides with fantastic points, towers, etc., standing 

 out in true Tibetan style. But it is only after crossing 

 the Lachcilang that the characteristic Tibetan scenery meets 

 one's eyes ; and the country on this side of the Baralacha 

 is only the prelude to the topsy-turviness with w^hich one 

 gets familiar in the land of the Lamas. On the left of 

 the road, on a projection commanding a view up and down 

 the valley, I saw a burhel ram watching us — the first 

 game I had seen ; he was about six hundred yards off, and, 

 though he had small horns, was a welcome sight. When 

 we reached the camping-place, a short distance from the 

 stream, a tearing wind was blowing, and there was no 

 protection from it but rough stone fences, evidently put 

 up to break the force of the wind. When the traps 

 arrived, the ponies were let loose, and started off at once 

 for the green grass fringing the stream — the first food 

 they had had since their feed on the Tsarap river. Poor 

 Chamiirti was much reduced by these privations, and having 



