Across the Roof of the World. 



of any to east or west when on the summit of the dividing 

 range. 



Moreover, I found the northern slopes of the Thian Shan 

 more precipitous than the southern. The passes from the 

 Yulduz to Kashgaria are said to be extremely difficult owing 

 to the steepness of their gradients, and the masses of rock and 

 boulders with which they are covered. This is undoubtedly true, 

 the Kara Dawan especially being vmlikely ever to prove a popular 

 route. 



This region of the Thian Shan is wild and little known, and 

 would appear to offer a favourable field for further exploration 

 and geographical research. The average height, where I crossed 

 the range, would not exceed 11,700 feet. 



The actual summit of the Kara Dawan was only sixteen feet 

 broad, with one or two patches of snow thereon, now rapidly 

 melting under the rays of a warm sun. Thence we descended 

 a distance of four hundred feet, and along a rock-strewn slope 

 above the right bank of the ravine to a small intervening range 

 jutting out from the main chain. 



A further descent ensued, with another climb of six hundred 

 feet, bringing us on to a range overlooking a dark ravine running 

 parallel to that leading directly down from the summit of the 

 Kara Dawan. The far side of this range was exceedingly steep, 

 and much time was occupied getting the ponies down, and then 

 only by dint of securing them with ropes and steadying their 

 progress by every means in our power. In the ravine it was just 

 a scramble for three miles through water and over rocks and 

 detritus cast down from above, the track being too narrow to 

 admit of our marching high and dry, the water taking up all 

 available space. 



At 6 o'clock we reached a small grassy clearing at the 

 confluence of two ravines, and camped there the night, the nullah 

 being here fifty paces broad, and very stony. On the open 

 patch, where I had camp pitched, was a cairn of stones, the top 

 graced by the skulls and horns of some fine ibex, one taping over 



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