102 AMONG THE PAMIRS. 



hour at least, while they stood gazing at the 

 corrie, and I began to think they would wait for 

 me after all ; but whilst we were still a long way 

 off, they made up their minds, and started again 

 up the mountain-side. 



Looking at each other in despair, we sorrow- 

 fully descended the slope the way we came, and 

 then tried one of the branches of the Kilik, right 

 up to the glacier at the head, but with no result. 

 The day was getting on, so we turned about and 

 made for camp. 



Bower having fared no better, we decided to 

 move to the mouth of the Mintaka, a valley 

 leading down from the Kunjut border. Beyond 

 getting a most magnificent view of snow-moun- 

 tains in every direction, as far as eye could reach, 

 we might have saved ourselves the scramble ; so 

 as we expected Gromchefski would by this time 

 have arrived at Chaddirtash, we proceeded there, 

 and were most hospitably received, and enter- 

 tained by Kutch Mahomed with tea and a sort of 

 girdle-cake, which the Kirghiz women made with 

 flour, cream, and butter, very acceptable to a 

 hungry man. 



The Russian not having come, we left the 

 Karachunkar valley and turned up the Taghdum- 



