Across the Roof of the World. 



Khan Tengri, and liaving penetrated the rocky defiles below the 

 frozen regions of its birth, emerges into a broad valle\-, whence 

 it continues to flow eastward until joining the Kunges. the two 

 streams, after unison, being known as the Hi. The mighty river 

 thus formed flows on past Kulja and into Lake Balkash, in 

 Russian territory. The Tekkes, in its course of nearly 150 miles 

 in Chinese territory, flows through a rich pastureland, and a 

 wonderful grass country it is. 



In that part of the Tekkes Valley with which I am concerned 

 in this book, the ground rises in gentle undulations from the river. 

 The valley is everywhere carpeted with the same rich grass, 

 whilst the hills to the south are covered with fir and pine, and 

 above them stretch shining glaciers and the snow-crowned summits 

 of the main range of the Celestial Mountains, the whole comprising 

 a scene of unsurpassed grandeur, and one that would compel the 

 admiration of the most phlegmatic. 



Next day, August 12th, I marched on again, fording the Kok 

 Terek stream just after leaving camp, and thence up the left bank 

 of the latter for two miles to some Kazak auls. Here the path 

 branched off into the foothills, and I followed this over a very 

 undulating country, stopping for lunch by the banks of a stream 

 which raced down from the mountains, and then struck off into 

 the hills. There was very stiff climbing to be done, which tired 

 the ponies so much that they kept constantly lying down on the 

 way. 



Passing through one narrow dell there was some rough 

 ground to get over, a steep and difficult ledge leading down to 

 the ravine. There was only just sufficient room for a man to 

 pass, so we widened it as much as possible to admit of the passage 

 of the transport. One of the ponies, however, slipped when half- 

 way down and went bumping and rolling into the river bed, 

 fortunately without doing himself any more serious harm than 

 a shaking. I then had things off-loaded and lianded down, 

 where we again loaded up and proceeded on our way. Well up 

 amongst the foothills were some Kazak auls, and I camped near 



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