BEYOND THE KARAKORAM. 19 



elling, at the top of the Potash gorge, which 

 leads down to the Karakash river. It was a 

 pleasant sight for "sair een," the beautiful green 

 grass, rose-bushes, tamarisk, and wild - flowers, 

 after the eternal gravel, dust, and shale of the 

 road. My ponies, too, evidently relished the 

 change when they got their packs off and were 

 given the run of their teeth. 



I stayed there three days to rest and feed 

 them, and then started back, having promised 

 not to cross the river into Chinese territory for 

 fear of political complications, intending to try 

 once more to find the road to Kizil Jilga; but 

 finding I could not shake off an attack of fever 

 which developed the day I arrived at Potash, 

 decided to return to Leh, and had a most un- 

 pleasant journey, fever every two days. As 

 soon, however, as I got into Nubra and had 

 apricots and vegetables, I picked up quickly, 

 and had quite recovered by the time I reached 

 Leh. 



Having only shot a couple of antelopes 

 this trip, I pushed on to Gya, hoping for an 

 Ovis Ammon, and in three marches reached 

 the Kamer nullah, though by no means san- 

 guine of the result, knowing others had been 



