72 A Journey to the Salween 
Primula Watsonz, and higher up the dwarf blue P. de//a with 
Soldanella, crimson azaleas, purple columbines and many 
more, forming sheets of colour. Every rock and boulder 
supported a small garden of saxifrages and tufted alpines, 
every marsh displayed masses of some rare flower such 
as Primula Souler, with sedges, gentians, and sphagnum. 
Here and there streams coming down from the mountain 
in front had been ponded back by detrital cones washed 
across their path, and had consequently formed bogs from 
which I think a good peat might be dug. Thin cascades 
came tumbling over the precipices in front of us, and in the 
smooth rounded rocks which here occupied the valley floor 
and the piles of scree or moraine material through which 
the torrent had cut its way, there were indications of 
previous glaciation. 
For nearly three hours we struggled up through the 
soft snow, frequently sinking in to our knees, the porters 
even to their waists, requiring to be pulled out by their 
companions. Finally we reached the summit, and lighting 
a fire, I boiled some water, which I found boiled at 85°5°C. 
giving 14,500 feet as the approximate height of the pass. 
This however is probably too much, and 14,000 feet may 
be nearer the mark. 
At the top of the pass the snow was banked high, and 
ended abruptly, the southern face, which was extremely 
precipitous, being clear for the first 1000 feet or so, though 
a single large drift lay down below. A cold wind was 
blowing up either side of the pass, and here we have an 
explanation of the fact that while the slopes of the col 
itself were bare of trees, to the right and left on the 
neighbouring peaks spruces extended upwards to a height 
above that of the actual pass; but there they were not 
exposed to this concentration of wind along the valley 
bottom, which raked the col from both sides. 
The Sie-la as the pass is called, has been crossed 
several times by French officers and travellers, and is 
frequently crossed in all weathers by the intrepid Catholic 
priests of the Mekong and Salween valleys. It is said to 
be clear of snow for two or three months in the year, 
though when I crossed it in November it was already 
more deeply under snow than in June. Were it clear of 
