SIG 
scorched that one was obliged to dismount to avoid keeling 
over in a faint. 
In Pamir one is exposed to great changes in tempera- 
ture. One afternoon in August the thermometer registered 
24° an hour before sunset, a few hours later it showed 10° 
frost. 
The summer days, too, contain other surprises than 
those of changes in temperature. On July 21 for instance. 
(it was not the only occasion) a very severe snow storm over- 
took us. Dense clouds of snow were driven hither and yon 
by a whistling wind and we were unable to see either be- 
hind or ahead. 
Such gales are frequent in High Pamir. In the evening 
the wind would often suddenly begin to howl down the 
mountain sides, carrying stones and gravel in its path. In a 
short time however all would be quiet. With the exception 
of these mountain storms Pamir is a country where gentle 
breezes or total calm are the natural order of events. See 
OLUFSEN and Ficker on this point. 
The canopy of clouds is light. According to FickeEr, 
Pamirski Post has 116 clear days and 55 cloudy. The re- 
maining 194 partly cloudy days have presumably nearly all 
been bright with scattered cumulus clouds covering the tops 
of the mountains, for this is the usual condition of affairs. 
(Compare OLUFSEN.) 
In the summer-time Pamir is practically rainless. Both 
the amount of rainfall (see the Table) and the number of 
rainy days are very small. Pamirski Post has a rain-proba- 
bility (KÔôPPEN) for the month of July of 0,11, for January 
of 0,10 and, according to Ficker, three months can pass 
without a drop of rain falling. The rain-probability for 
Chorock is 0,04 in July, 0,22 in January, and four months 
can pass totally without rainfall. In High Pamir our ex- 
pedition experienced rain a few times in the month af July. 
In some instances only a few drops fell, but on one occasion 
a soft rain fell 14 hours in succession, turning to snow 
on the tops of the mountains. Nor do the winter snows of 
High Pamir amount to much, as may be seen from the 
figures of the table. In the month of March, leaving 
a* 
mmm 
EEN TEE mr mm aed 
