A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



them being, of course, the Mustagh, or " K " group, 

 whilst from the south-east to the west are the snow- 

 clad peaks of the range that divides the Shyok and 

 Indus valleys. 



Immediately below us, as we faced north, we 

 could trace the windings of the Shyok River from 

 Kapalu almost as far as Nubra, and to the east and 

 south, at the bottom of precipices, which fell sheer 

 from the point where we were for some thousands 

 of feet, was the road winding up the Chorbat Valley 

 till it reached the snows of the pass that we were to 

 cross. It was a sight never to be forgotten, this 

 unbroken circle of eternal snow, and by great good 

 luck, at the time when we were there, there was 

 scarcely a cloud on any of the mountain-tops. I 

 sketched in outline some of the more noticeable 

 peaks, and with my compass took their bearing, 

 hoping that subsequently I might be able to 

 identify them, as, of course, the Baltis who were 

 with me were worse than useless, and knew 

 absolutely nothing about them. After gazing at 

 this view (which, mirabile dictu, seemed to impress 

 even the natives) for some time, we began the 

 descent to the Chorbat road. For some way our 

 path led down extremely steep shale and boulder- 

 strewn slopes, and here I noticed for the first time 

 a fine purple auricula growing under the rocks. 

 Near some shepherds' huts we met Salia, who 

 had gone on ahead and had seen some ibex, and 

 eventually camped opposite a precipitous mountain- 



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