754 EXPLORATION IN CHINESE TURKESTAN. 



at a scries of excellent survey stations, Lieutenant Tillard, R. E., of 

 the trig'onometrical branch ofHce of the survey of India, succeeded in 

 constructing- a map of the Muztagh-Ata region on the enhirged scale 

 of 4 miles to the inch, which shows much additional detail. It will be 

 published along with the general njap embodying our survey. But 

 both the taking of the phototheodolite views and the working out of 

 the results has absorbed a great amount of time and labor, and refer- 

 ence to the plane-table sections has, I believe, often been found indis- 

 pensable in plotting. 



For the purpose of the phototheodolite surve}'', and also in order to 

 gain some closer personal experience of the ''father of ice-mountains," 

 I made on July 18-19 two ascents on the western slopes of the central 

 mass of Muztagh-Ata. The route chosen lay up the ridge which flanks 

 the Yambulak glacier from the north, and, as seen from below, seemed 

 to ascend unbroken to the northern of the twin peaks of the great 

 mountain. It was by the same route that Dr. Sven Hedin, in the course 

 of his explorations of 1894, had reached his highest point. But since 

 the visit of the great Swedish traveler, the physical conditions on the 

 surface of the ridge seem to have undergone a considerable change for 

 the worse. At the time of his ascents the ridge appears to have been 

 bare of snow up to an elevation estimated at over 20,000 feet, and 

 consequently it had been possible to use yaks both for riding and 

 transport. I found the ridge from about 1 5,500 feet upward enveloped 

 by heavy masses of snow, which seem likely to transform themselves 

 gradually into a mantle of ice, such as lies over the other elevated 

 slopes of the mountain. Only on the very edge of the precipitous 

 rock wall b}' which the ridge falls otf toward the Yambulak glacier 

 small patches of rock protruded here and there from the deep snow. 

 Above 17,000 feet even these disa[)pearcd, and at a])out the same 

 height it was necessary to leave behind the yaks, which, foundering 

 constantly in the deep snow, had become useless. 



On the opposite side of the glacier the. southern wall of rock is 

 topped ))y a thick layer of ice to a far lower point, and consequently 

 little avalanches would be seen gliding down from it as the day wore 

 on. Luckily, on our side the glittering snow sheet over which we 

 ascended seemed to rest as yet firmly on the rock. The weather was 

 by no means favorable, and on the second da}" we had to contend with 

 frequent gusts of violent wind, and with occasional showers of snow. 

 The maxinumi elevation I then reached was, by the evidence of the 

 hypsometrical readings, within a few feet of 20,000 feet. It had taken 

 nearly eight hours of constant toil to attain it from my camp, pitched 

 at an elevation of over 15,000 feet. The couple o,f Kirghiz who 

 could be induced to set out with us were, curiously enough, first 

 seized by mountain sickness, and had to be left behind with their yaks. 

 At an elevation of about 19,000 feet, Ham Singh, the subsurveyor, 



