MUN TO LUKUNG 291 



There were three of these httle woods in the village 

 all carefully irrigated. These small groves are appar- 

 ently grown in this treeless land for firewood, and to 

 supply beams for the roofs of houses, just as poplars 

 are grown in Baltistan. 



From Mun I sent Rupsang on with a fresh pony, 

 with instructions to get to Pobrang early next morning, 

 and have yaks and ponies collected for us. Pobrang is 

 the last village on the way to Changchenmo at which 

 transport is obtainable, and it was very essential that we 

 should not be delayed, as the summer was fast passing 

 over. 



That evening we reached Spangmik, 7 miles from 

 Mun, and camped for the night on a beautifully smooth 

 stretch of short grass, by a running stream, only about a 

 foot wide, and with an exquisite view of the lovely lake 

 before our tent. All day the blue of that lake had been 

 a constant pleasure to the eye, which turned with a 

 sense of great relief from the glare of the granite dust 

 and gravel over which we travelled, to the soft, deep 

 cobalt colour, and the wonderful shades, from cream 

 colour to terra-cotta, of the hills beyond. 



On the morning of the i8th of August, about 10 a.m., 

 we reached Lukung, a hamlet of two houses, 7 miles 

 from Spangmik. Here we found Mahamdu, who had 

 been sent to Leh on the ist for our letters, etc., waiting 

 for us. So we sat down under a couple of stunted trees 

 that were evidently carefully cherished, and had our 

 breakfast and read our letters. 



As we were going on, Colonel Turnbull turned up, 

 also on his way to Changchenmo. He had done better 



