360 A WEARY TRUDGE. 



of the climate much more than I did. I must confess, however, 

 that this was not done out of pure philanthropy : there was a 

 certain amount of selfishness in it, as one's own comfort on a 

 trip of this kind so much depends on keeping one's servants 

 in health and good-humour. 



A skull and massive pair of ram's horns lying bleaching 

 in the sun showed us we were once more among the haunts 

 of the big sheep. About two hours' slow walking for I was 

 now afoot again, having sent back the pony from the Indus 

 with Changter took us to the top of the pass, on the farther 

 side of which the Karzok men had told us we should find an 

 encampment of Rookshu people, where a guide for the locality 

 could be procured. On and on we trudged over the bare hard 

 ground, under the glaring sun, and against the everlasting 

 cutting wind, for hour after hour, not meeting with a sign 

 of life except a few marmots, and the cheerless relics of a 

 Tartar camp in the shape of smoke-blackened stones and 

 dilapidated " pullas," 1 all was silent solitude. 



Towards the afternoon we topped another rise, from whence 

 we got a fine view of the Tso Kar lying far away below. Situ- 

 ated in the middle of an extensive barren valley, surrounded 

 by arid brown hills, the Tso Kar is, I think, the least interest- 

 ing, as far as appearance goes, of any of the larger lakes of 

 this part of Tibet ; and to increase its dreary aspect, the shore, 

 for some distance from its crooked margin, is covered with a 

 white saline efflorescence, from which a most abominable glare 

 is reflected. It is curious that, in the same valley, and only 

 about a mile or so from this salt lake, there is a smaller sheet 

 of fresh water, bordered to a certain extent with green turf, 

 presenting a remarkable contrast to its salt neighbour. On 



1 A "pulla" is a low wall built of loose stones, which the Tibetans build 

 round the bottom of their tents, or more frequently in the open, as a pro- 

 tection from the wind ; for these hardy nomads seem to care little for any 

 shelter except from the cruel biting blast. We always piled large stones, of 

 which there was never any lack, round our little tents, if only to keep them 

 from being almost blown away. 



