LAKE DISCOVEBED 179 



ing to the southward, through the pine forest that grows 

 there, by wliich I might travel in the direction of Mo- 

 si-mien without getting onto the reguLir track. This 

 I was anxious to do if possible, as I should thereby 

 avoid any contact with the lamas, who were, I knew, in- 

 clined to be troublesome, and who are found in swarms 

 on the roads near Ta-tsien-lu. Unfortunately I could 

 find no road, the southern slopes being covered with 

 virgin forests of pine which I was unable to penetrate. 

 I discovered during the day a lovely lake of the 

 •clearest and purest water, and very deep. On the banks 

 quantities of sulphur were lying. It was surrounded 

 on all sides except the north by precipices many 

 hundreds of feet deep, and had the appearance of 

 receiving the overflow of a lake above by a waterfall 

 at the south end. I can only conjecture the presence 

 •of such a lake, but the formation seemed strongly 

 to indicate it. Its elevation I made to be 14,070 

 feet above the sea, and its overflow supplies a tributary 

 of the river flowini? throusjh Ta-tsien-lu. It took 

 me two hours to walk round, so that a rough idea 

 may be formed of its size. At the north end were a 

 number of Tibetan prayer-sticks, with thin strings and 

 papers fluttering in the wind. I saw some salamanders 

 in the lake, and on the precipices round it were some 

 birds much resembling the chough. 



N 2 



