Approaching a Perilous Pass. 



one which force of circumstances compelled him to fill. The yak 

 tackles most fords with comparative ease, on this occasion further 

 justifying his reputation as a wader of rivers of a high order. 

 More than once mine was carried off his feet, but with an admir- 

 able coolness he breasted the current, battling against it until 

 bottom was touched. 



On the far side I rested the yaks before despatching one 

 back with the guide who brought over the baggage animals, 

 an operation pleasanter to look back upon than watch, since 

 the chances of all one's worldly goods being swept irretrievably 

 away are very strong. 



In the jungle amongst the reeds and willow trees I halted 

 awhile, before commencing the ascent of the Tupa Dawan, the 

 path leading high up above the right bank of the river. I partook 

 of a frugal lunch inside an old ruined log hut there, a rough 

 structure, doubtless built many years ago judging from its dilapi- 

 dated condition. 



It was a long and stiff pull to the summit of the Tupa Pass, 

 over a bare and otherwise desolate stretch of ground sloping 

 down at an extremely steep angle to the river bed far below. 

 The summit is likewise bare and in addition covered with 

 fragments of rock. 



A descent of about 1,500 feet takes one into the nullah, 

 tlie head of which leads over into the Kulan Urgu Valley by a 

 high and exceedingly difficult pass. The path winds down in a 

 succession of zigzags to the nullah in question, these running 

 directly under one another, a fact we were summarily apprised 

 of by miniature avalanches of stones caused by the yaks 

 above us, for Nadir and I had, as usual, gone on ahead. 



I camped that night some four miles up the nullah leading 

 to the Qoqoi Qotchkor^ with the intention of pushing on at 

 dawn and getting over the pass, the guide saying it was high 

 and very difficult. This man, hke all natives high and low, 

 assured me the pass was " not far," and that we should reach a 

 Kirghiz encampment in the valley on the other side by evening. 



95 



