NIMU FORD 359 



camped for the night on the Sango plain, on the edge of 

 the river, and at the mouth of the Sango nala. 



Next morning (the 15th) when I got up the ther- 

 mometer stood at 43° F,, a great improvement on the 

 temperature registered at Kiongma Chumik. It was 

 snowing when we started, and we had snow two or three 

 times during the day, but it was a fairly pleasant march, 

 as the wind — the curse of Ladak — was not strong, and 

 the sun generally bright and warm. The pony I was 

 riding threw me clean that morning in a most comical 

 way. I was sitting quietly, reading a newspaper as the 

 animal jogged along. I had stuffed the part I had 

 finished with, into the hollow forming the pommel of the 

 saddle, from which after a bit the paper worked loose 

 and fell out. Instantly the animal swung round sharp, 

 and I promptly rolled off For the rest of that day the 

 mere rustle of a paper frightened that pony so much 

 that I had to be careful how I handled what I read. 



The track leaves the Hanle river below the low 

 Sangpoehe Pass, which we crossed about noon. Not 

 finding good water, we did not stop for breakfast till we 

 reached the Indus about 2 p.m. After that meal, we 

 went on down the river till we came to the ford opposite 

 Nimu, where we had crossed with much trouble and 

 delay on the 9th of August. Now,. however, the water 

 was much lower, and there was no difficulty in marching 

 the ponies over. Then we went up a couple of miles to 

 the Nimu village and camped there, as it was not worth 

 while trying to go on further, the next camping-ground 

 being rather far. We had done about 29 miles. 



The monastery above the village is picturesquely 



