Across the Roof of the World. 



reverberated throughout the narrow defile. The yaks negotiated 

 these places with their customary skill, never getting in the least 

 perturbed at the terrific current but quietly pursuing the even 

 tenour of their way. 



Ten miles below the Hi Su Pass one gets into willow jungle, 

 with occasional patches of grass where it is possible to find space 

 for a tent. The change after the intense cold of the bleak and 

 desolate Pamirs was most welcome, and I admired to the full 

 the green grass and waving boughs of willow, a contrast as 

 striking as it was pleasing. Through these patches of jungle 

 it was necessary to cut a way for the animals, the denseness of 

 the undergrowth preventing their getting along when carrying 

 loads. Lower down the combined influence of vegetable life 

 and the warm rays of the sun brought out the flies in considerable 

 numbers, doing much to worry the yaks and causing us a certain 

 amount of uneasiness, since they are very susceptible to the 

 slightest heat and the worry of a large fly met with in the Yarkand 

 country, a fly, as far as I could ascertain, similar to the tsetse 

 fly of South Africa. The Kirghiz assured me this fly con- 

 stituted a menace against which the animals would be 

 powerless and to w^hose bite they would rapidly succumb. 



About four o'clock I decided to camp at the first favourable 

 spot further down, as the ground I was then on was not sufficient 

 to allow room for the whole of the caravan and animals. The 

 amount of water in the stream was by now considerable, so this 

 factor also contributed to a somewhat earlier camp than usual. 

 Presently we reached a spot that seemed to afford the necessary 

 accommodation, but as it lay on the opposite bank meant 

 crossing the river again. At this particular point the ravine 

 had widened to some fifty yards, the prospective camping 

 ground being on the right bank and well above it, thus tending 

 to lessen the fly nuisance. The river was a mass of rocks and 

 boulders, amongst which the water tumbled and roared like the 

 cataract of Niagara above Prospect Point, whilst on the far side 

 were some willow trees whose branches projected over the 



