A Winter Journey amongst the Lutzu 193 
we crossed this pass in June, it may be remembered, there 
was practically no snow on the precipitous Salween or south- 
west side of the ridge, but now it extended from the valley 
to the summit, the last few hundred feet—which is extra- 
ordinarily steep—being very difficult, for here the snow-drifts 
were several feet deep. The Mekong side presented much 
the same appearance that it did in June. Then, however, the 
last thousand feet of snow was merely the unmelted remnant 
of accumulated months, still deep and soft on the surface. 
Now there could at most have been the accumulations of 
only a few weeks’ snow, but already it was several feet 
deep, crisp on the surface, but not yet compact beneath. 
The trail was obliterated, and consequently we floundered 
knee deep at every step. 
It had ceased snowing, but a howling gale raced over 
the pass, whipping up the frozen surface of the snow and 
filling the air with fine spicules of ice which stung the face ; 
and what with these blinding clouds and the mist, the three 
of us who were leading (for the Lutzus seemed uncommonly 
inert) lost the trail completely and nearly slid over a 
precipice. However, we ploughed across ledges of rock 
and soon picked up the trail again, reaching the valley in 
safety after a morning’s hard work. 
Judging by the amount of ice on the rocks, the Sie-la 
had probably been under snow for some weeks, so that it 
can be clear for little more than three months in the year. 
That evening we got well down through the forest, 
finding very little water in the torrent which had bothered 
us a good deal in June; indeed at one point it suddenly 
disappeared beneath the shingle, flowing for several hundred 
yards so far below the surface that not even a sound came 
up to us, before it burst out again from its subterranean 
channel. 
We camped in a clearing at the foot of the last spur, 
happily finding a small and much dilapidated shed which 
Kin and I appropriated. It snowed heavily all night. 
The Tibetan settled himself under the lee of the shed 
where Kin had made the fire, and the Lutzus built their fire 
fifty yards away! Next morning the forest presented a 
pretty sight, but it was very cold, and starting early, we 
soon reached the top of the spur and saw the Mekong 
WT. 13 
