3IO A MARCH IN TIBET 



is joined, lower down, by the small stream from Gangotri 

 — the sacred place of pilgrimage. The Bhagirati rises at 

 a higher elevation, has the longest course and the greatest 

 volume of the two, and has therefore more right to the 

 adoration of Hindus. The ridfre I crossed in the morn- 

 iug was divided between the Sutlej and the Ganges 

 water systems. I had therefore doubled Sangyokh-la, 

 with no idea I had so easily crossed over into India 

 (politically speaking) again — especially after the experi- 

 ences of the Gugerang Pass ! Geographically, however, I 

 was still in Tibet, and should not be in India proper till I 

 had passed Nilang. There must be a great gap in the grand 

 Himalayan rampart at this point, for there were no great 

 elevations in front of me. Nevertheless, camp Eangboche 

 must be ranher high; the Sangyokh is 16,800 feet, and I 

 was encamped only a few miles below it. In the evening 

 I went down stream for a long distance, but saw no animal 

 life of any kind. The valley was just redeemed from the 

 utter abomination of desolation by the sparkling stream 

 below, the heavenly blue above, and the glorious sunshine. 

 Eeturning to camp, I found many burrows of marmots 

 a short way from the stream ; but they all seemed to 

 be deserted. There were signs of some beast of prey 

 near the burrows — it was probably a Tibetan wolf who 

 had settled down here until he had cleared the poor 

 marmots out. 



We started next day at 6.30 a.m. and went up the 

 mountain side for about a mile, when we came to the 

 regular road from Nilang, that crosses the Sangyokh-la 

 and goes on to Zarang, etc., in the direction of Shipki 

 frontier village ; this road is well defined, and much used 

 by beasts of burden. On the ridge by the roadside are 

 the usual heaps of stones with small flags of various 

 colours. A sharp descent led to the next valley; we 



