TO LADAK. 121 



this path, profess to have seen them. Phuttoo, who has 

 heen ailing some days, I think from rheumatism, remained 

 to accompany the main hody. , We, of the light division, 

 came on ahead, and found the carcase of an ibex fresh 

 killed, and partly devoured by wild dogs. This is a 

 terrible blow to our hopes, as in all probability the ibex 

 have been harassed and frightened away from this place. 

 From the camp ground nothing whatever can be seen in 

 the way of game, though the hills look very likely. 



In the course of the day some excitement was created 

 by Ali Bucks asserting he saw an ibex. After enquiry 

 and much useless reconnoitring, it was decided to have 

 been a marmot. Soon afterwards I was examining the 

 features of the mountains, and laying out plans for our 

 route in the afternoon with Mooktoo, when we both 

 became aware of real ibex being visible in the very spot 

 I was pointing out as that we should make for. The ibex 

 were numerous, " and some large horns among them. 

 They appeared to be excited by something, supposed to 

 be a fight among them. They soon disappeared. But 

 the knowledge that they were actually on the mountain 

 was a great relief, as we feared those, rascally dogs had 

 driven them away. 



About 2 P.M. we prepared for the chase, and, moving 

 up the valley, reached the glacier from under and out of 

 which the main Wnrdwan river flows. This enormous 

 mass of ice and snow fills the upper end of the valley, 

 extending many miles right through the Sooroo Pass, the 

 path running over it. It was awkward work crossing the 

 chasms and rents in it ; but it was our only means of 

 getting to the other side of the river. Rain set in, 

 making our anticipated hard labour in ascending the 

 mountain still more formidable and disagreeable. 



We paused at the base of the hill to reconnoitre with 



