GREAT ELEVATIOX. EXHAUSTION. 177 



drive the snow off the very highest summits. More- 

 over in Avinter the snowfall is very slight/ and 

 although heavier in spring it soon thaws in the sun, 

 without having time to drift into more compact 

 masses, such as might last throughout the summer. 

 The extreme barrenness of the Burkhan Buddha is 

 its most prominent characteristic. The slopes are 

 of clay, small pebbles, debris or bare rocks of schist, 

 syenite, or syenitic porphyry ; the latter are most 

 marked on the borders and along the axis of the 

 range. Vegetation is almost exclusively confined to 

 stunted bushes of budarhana and yellow kurile tea ; 

 birds and beasts are also rare. 



The southern slopes are in general somewhat 

 less sterile than those facing the north ; here too 

 running streams are more abundant, and something 

 like grass may be seen. But the herbage is soon 

 eaten off by wild animals, or by the Mongol cattle 

 driven hither during summer to escape the swarms 

 of insects which infest the Tsaidam marshes. 



Notwithstanding the gradual nature of the 

 ascent, the exertion to both man and beast was very 

 severe, owing to the enormous elevation, and the 

 consequent rarefaction of the atmosphere. Our 

 strength failed us, a feeling of languor supervened, 

 respiration became difficult, and our heads ached 

 and grew dizzy. Camels frequently fall down dead 

 here ; indeed one of our own expired on the spot, 



^ The Mongols told us that the snowfall was very unequal. One 

 winter there would be more, another less. 



VOL. II. N 



