212 TO THE KARAKORUM. 



must Lave passed a hundred or more. When I thought 

 that we must have got over the worst, I found the whole 

 pass blocked up with a distinct glacier over which we had 

 to climb. But it was less difficult than it looked, the sur- 

 face being rough, and crumbling under the tread. There 

 was about a mile of this ; and then a gradual descent to 

 masses of stones similar to those already passed, through 

 which we scrambled and stumbled until well down the 

 pass, where the path appeared again, and I mounted. 



As we rode down towards the camp, Tar-gness' dog, 

 which was a little ahead of us with Kamal who carried 

 my breakfast, pursued a large flock of shapu, scattering 

 them here and there : a large body of them, however, 

 stopped and recommenced feeding high up above us. 

 This looked promising for sport. I alighted at half-past 

 nine, after five hours' hard work. We found some stone 

 screens, and, piled up by one, a number of bags of 'charras/ 

 there deposited by some merchant whose horses had died. 

 I am told that an immense quantity of valuable merchan- 

 dise is thus lying about on the Karakorum mountains, 

 awaiting the owners' leisure for removal. They say it is 

 never robbed, which says much for the honesty of the 

 natives who pass to and fro ; though I suppose the fact 

 is that none but merchants do travel this road, and they 

 naturally respect each other's rights, and compassionate 

 their misfortunes. 



The scenery was very grand. Immediately in front 

 rose two enormous mountains looking black like coal, 

 composed of a slate-like stone ; and beyond them was a 

 broken range of light sand-coloured mountains, seen 

 through the gorge dividing the former, where I believe 

 our path runs. Eight and left of us lies a valley of the 

 usual sterile appearance, huge snow-capped mountains 

 shutting it in. It lies, I think, north and south. 



