RAREFIED AIR. 305 



tions of temperature, highly salubrious. But at this rate we 

 shall be a long time reaching Changcheumo. 



A family-shot at a flock of rock-pigeons a paler-col- 

 oured bird than the common blue rock, and slightly marked 

 with white and a wild goose of the bar-headed variety I 

 killed in some marshy ground beside a stream running into 

 the lake, furnished a welcome addition to our larder. The 

 goose, however, was rather dearly bought at the price of a 

 heavy fall among the stones, owing to the clumsy Tartar 

 saddle turning as I dismounted to shoot. I felt the effects 

 in the small of my back for more than a week after. 



We camped at Lookoong, two miles north of the lake a 

 hamlet consisting of a few wretched little hovels, with about 

 half an acre of irrigated cultivation attached. This was the 

 last sign of any human habitation we should meet with until 

 our return from the inhospitable region we were about to 

 visit. From here two days more took us over the Marsemik 

 la into Changchenmo. The ascent to this pass is so very 

 gradual and easy, and there was so little snow lying even on. 

 its gentle northern slope when we crossed, that it was difficult 

 to believe we were 18,600 feet above the sea-level ; but almost 

 all of us, our Tartars included, suffered more or less from 

 headache, and my nose bled slightly. 



The best remedy for the unpleasant effects caused by rare- 

 fied air I found to be cold strong tea ; spirits only increased 

 them. The Tartars, however, drink quantities of chung, the 

 weak spirit of the country, distilled from a kind of barley 

 called grim, which, they say, answers the same purpose. It 

 has a sweetish and not altogether unpleasant taste. In the 

 more northern Himalayas, eating raw onions is said by the 

 natives to mitigate these disagreeable sensations. 



As we sat discussing our breakfast a mile or two below the 

 top of the pass, previous to crossing it, and here I may offer 

 a bit of advice : never cross a high pass on an empty stomach, 

 we descried a flock of seven Ores Ammon (the magnificent 



U 



