94 J7EJV FROM SUMMIT. 



gained the summit, whence I had a magnificent view. 

 The valley of the Tatung, with its tributary streams 

 hurrying to join it on all sides, the northern range 

 and the snowy peaks far to the westward, combined 

 to produce an effect indescribably beautiful. I had 

 never been so high before ; at my feet were great 

 mountains covered with wild crags and clothed with 

 fore^^ts, throuofh which wound rivers like silver threads. 

 For a long while I could not tear myself away from 

 the spot, but remained as one entranced, and shall 

 remember that day as one of the happiest of my 

 life. 



In the hurry of starting I had left the matches^ 

 behind, and could not strike a light by the flash of 

 my gun. I had, therefore, to defer taking the alti- 

 tude for two days, when I again ascended the Sodi- 

 Soruksum with the boiling- water apparatus complete, 

 determined this time to discover the secret ; a few 

 minutes after lighting the spirit lamp I found it to 

 be 13,600 feet above the sea. This is below the 

 limit of perpetual snow, only a few patches being 

 visible under the rocks, where the sun's rays did not 

 penetrate. 



After passing July in the mountains on the 

 southern side of Tatung-gol, we crossed in the 

 early part of August to the northern range and 

 pitched our tent at an elevation of 12,000 feet, at 

 the foot of the gigantic peak of Gadjur. Here we 

 remained about a fortnight, rain falling incessantly, 



' These matches, of \'iennese manufacture, are sold by the Chinese 

 .all o\er the Empire. 



