THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 85 



and as Lippe and Siignam are about 9000 feet high, 

 that would give an ascent and descent of about 5300 

 feet each. But there are two considerable descents 

 to be made on the way from Lippe to the summit of 

 the pass, and a smaller descent before reaching Sug- 

 nam, so that the Ruhang Pass really involves an 

 ascent of over 8000 feet, and a descent of the same 

 number. 



Here, for the first time, I saw and made use of the 

 yak or wild ox of Tibet, the Bos grunniens, or grunt- 

 ing ox, the Bos poephagus and the Trot'^ayos of Arrian. 

 It certainly is a magnificent animal, and one of the 

 finest creatures of the bovine species. In the zoologi- 

 cal gardens at Schonbrunn, near Vienna, there are 

 some specimens of yaks from Siberia ; but they are 

 small, and are not to be compared with the great yak 

 of the Himaliya, the back of which is more like an 

 elephant's than anything else. The shortness of its 

 legs takes away somewhat from its stature ; and so 

 does its thick covering of fine black and white hair, 

 but that adds greatly to its beauty. Indeed it is the 

 shaggy hair and savage eye of the yak which make 

 its appearance so striking, for the head is not large, 

 and the horns are poor. The tail is a splendid 

 feature, and the white tails of yaks are valuable as 

 articles of commerce. The zo-po, on which I often 

 rode, is a hybrid between the yak and the female Bos 

 indicus, or common Indian cow. It is considered 

 more docile than the yak, and its appearance is often 



