114 JOURNEY TO YARKAND. 



snow, and surrounded by snow -covered peaks 

 ascending tier upon tier to the great Tagherma 

 Peak, already mentioned. 



When we reached the centre of the plateau the 

 path was well marked in the snow by a caravan 

 of yaks, but as we began to descend the road 

 became more difficult, owing to drifts of snow in 

 the hollows and ravines which covered the track. 

 The ponies commenced to struggle, and floun- 

 dered into these drifts, and we had to flounder 

 after them, take up their loads and readjust them ! 

 The altitude being high, the poor animals were 

 incapable of much exertion, and we had often 

 great difficulty in moving them. To add to our 

 trouble, it came on to snow not good, respectable, 

 feathery snow, but nasty little particles of ice, 

 which, drifting with the wind, nearly blinded us, 

 and cut our faces severely. It was five o'clock 

 before we got out of the snow-region, and dusk 

 before we came to a small spring on a grass plot, 

 near which was oh, most welcome sight ! the 

 wherewithal to cook our dinner, that useful article 

 known in Switzerland as the bois de vac he ! Some 

 of the ponies were late in arriving, and one, alas ! 

 poor Rufus, as we called him, who had already 

 distinguished himself by his fall over the cud 



