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CHAPTER XI. 



TO THE KARAKORUM. 



6th. AUGUST. Away in good time, and high spirits at 

 the prospect of resuming my travels. I found the river 

 very much altered as to its channels, and reduced in 

 volume ; but still it was a work of time and labour to 

 cross over. The main channel was considerably enlarged, 

 and I should think some eight hundred yards in width, 

 with here and there a current of tremendous force ; the 

 average depth was not above the knees, but in the rushes 

 up to the middle. I got across without misadventure, 

 leaving servants and baggage to follow, and made for a 

 village called Thaga, over a sandy road: in one place 

 the sand, by the action of wind or water, was heaped up 

 in successive ridges, like the sea in a stiff breeze. 



I found Phuttoo and the moonshi at this village : the 

 former assured me, with much volubility, that everything 

 was ready at Panamik. The servants and baggage having 

 come up, we moved on to Chamseen, which is, I should 

 think, eight miles from Lanjoong, the path rough and 

 stony. We passed through one village and an agreeable 



