KHOTAN TO LEH 195 



Having some idea of what was in front of us, we 

 hired yaks from these Kirghiz, both for riding and 

 baggage, and very early on the morning of the 28th 

 started in a misty, drizzly weather to attack the 

 Sanju Pass. 



On the map the height of this pass is given as 

 16,800 feet, which I fancy must understate the case, 

 as I am pretty sure from its effects on ourselves and 

 the caravan animals that it is a good deal higher 

 than the Kilyan. However, be that as it may, 

 there is no doubt that it is much the worse pass of 

 the two, the Kilyan being very steep only on the 

 north side, while the Sanju is so on both. It 

 crosses a razor-backed ridge, the sides of which 

 approach so nearly to the perpendicular, that one 

 wonders who first conceived the notion of making 

 a way over it. The path is of course a zigzag, and 

 wriggles its way up among the broken rock which 

 somehow clings to the hillside. There was prac- 

 tically no snow on it ; but that proves nothing 

 as regards its height, the snowfall in these hills 

 being very capricious, while as the ridge lies more 

 or less north and south both sides of it get 

 some sun. 



Our passage over it was not destined to be un- 

 attended by disaster. All the baggage was on 

 yaks, so the ponies were not loaded ; but, none the 

 less, five of our new Khotan purchases managed to 

 fall from the path, and rolled a tremendous way 



