7б ^aaineh; the sacred peaks. 



less steep and rugged than that over the southern, 

 the peaks on this side are the loftiest, including 

 Mount Konkir/ which is covered with snow the 

 whole year round. The highest mountains in either 

 ranges are held sacred by the Tangutans under the 

 name oi Amneh, i.e. ' ancestors.' They are thirteen 

 in number, situated about the middle and upper 

 course of the Tatung, but the southern chain has 

 only three, viz. Ckaied, Bsiagar, and Kiimbmn- 

 damar. The sacred mountains of the northern range, 

 taking them in the order in which they come, are 

 Mela, Konkir, Nam^'ki, Ckiskar, RargtU, Rtashtai, 

 Shorim-tsun, Marnhc, Djagiri, and Sienbit? 



The geological formations are chiefly schistous 

 clay, chlorite, limestone, felspar, gneiss, and diorite. 

 The mineral wealth of this region consists in its coal- 

 fields and gold, which, according to the natives, is 

 found in almost every mountain stream ; the coal- 

 beds near Chertinton are worked by the Chinese. 



According to the natives, shocks of earthquake 

 are frequent and violent, but we only felt one slight 

 shock. 



The climate is exceedingly damp, especially in 

 summer, part of autumn and spring ; in winter, the 

 people told us, that it was generally clear, cold 

 winds alternating with calm warm weather. It 

 rained constantly during the summer. We registered 



^ This mountain is situated at the sources of the Tatung, near 

 Yunan-chen. 



- I could not discover why Mounts (iadjur in the northern, and 

 Sodi-Soruksum in the southern range, are not included in the number' 

 of the sacred mountains. 



