nie 
most part, and villages are scattered here and there. The 
population, Iranian by race (Galtshas or Mountain-Tadjiks) 
has fixed habitations, whereas the population af High Pamir 
is sparse and of the nomadic Kirghiz. Regular agriculture is 
practised in the Pandsh valley (Wakhan Daria) to Ssarhad 
(3,350 mètres above sea level), and in Langarkisht (3,000 
mètres), where our expedition made a halt, both cereals and 
fruit trees (apricots) are grown. Near Shach Daria cultiva- 
tion extends ud to Sseis (3,160 mètres), along the Gund river 
up to Ssardym (3,160 mètres), in the Murghab valley to 
Ssares (3,200 métres) and on the Alai plateau to 2,740 métres. 
(This is according to GEIGER.) In a large part of Lower 
Pamir then, the valleys are cultivated, and according to 
GEIGER in early days the cultivation extended even higher 
up than now. The condition to-day he does not think due 
to a changed climate, but rather to the lack of energy of 
the population. 
CHAPTER 3 
The Climate of Pamir. 
The climate of Pamir is continental. The winters are 
cold and the summers, in consideration of the high altitude, 
hot. The actual summer is short. In High Pamir, July and 
August are the only summer months in which plants grow 
and blossom, and even during these months, in which the 
average temperature is over 13°, night frosts up to -— 4° are 
common. At the end of August the minimum-thermometer 
of the expedition even registered — 10°. 
However the days are for the most part bright and hot. 
The light is so strong that one is obliged to wear coloured 
glasses, and the sun burns so fiercely in the thin atmosphere 
that hands and face become blistered. As we rode horseback 
hour after hour in this scorching sunlight the upper side of 
the left hand holding the reins was often covered with great 
burns; and it has happened that the foot exposed to the 
sun’s rays even though protected by a great boot, was so 
