Across the! Roof of the World. 



water down from the snows above in record quantities. For the 

 first five miles it was exceedingly narrow and difficult, indeed 

 to such an extent that it was only with the utmost exertion we 

 could get along at all. I had hoped to reach the junction of the 

 Hi Su with the Yarkand River that evening, but it turned out 

 to be impossible, the numerous fordings with their attendant 

 difficulties and dangers hindering us so much that I gave up the 

 idea. Five hours of struggling through these turbulent waters and 

 along the face of precipices brought us to Issok Bulak (hot 

 spring), where I halted for a scratch meal, appreciating a brief 

 respite from perils and dangers by land and water. Lower 

 down we reached a point where a mighty avalanche of rock had 

 descended in bygone days, completely blocking the way, so the 

 only alternative offered was a climb over the rocks and boulders 

 above at the imminent risk of being cast into the river below. 



There was no track of any sort, simply a vast conglomeration 

 of rocks amongst which the yaks would have to pick their way 

 and get across as best they could. Yaks are about as steady on 

 their feet as any animal in the world, and can get over ground 

 that would be the despair of most human beings. On this rock 

 slide we passed an hour, working against great odds, whilst the 

 ever-present possibility of starting the entire slope in motion was 

 not pleasant to contemplate. Further on the ravine again 

 widened to a breadth of some twenty yards or less, the sides being 

 covered with dense undergrowth through which a way was 

 hacked with axes. Past this uncanny spot I camped in a small 

 grassy clearing by the water's edge and distant less than a quarter 

 of a mile from the Yarkand River, the valley of which I could 

 distinguish ahead. Above the steep slopes on the right bank 

 of the latter the ground was worn by paths leading up to the 

 summit of the Tupa Dawan, a track made by the Kirghiz with 

 their herds of goats. 



It was this last ford across the Hi Su which prevented my 

 camping the night in the main valley, since the volume of 

 water and terrific strength of the current necessitated the 



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