TO CASHMEER AND LITTLE TIBET. 569 



site of a deserted village called Bulleh Tseerchoo. We were 

 now close upon the inhabited territory of the Eajah, a village 

 called Dass-i-Kurum, being but two miles off. It had been 

 arranged by Ahniud Shah that I should descend from Boor- 

 zillah into Astore, a tributary state upon the Indus opposite 

 Gilghit, held by a nephew of his, called Jubbar Khan. With 

 this intention I had got to Bulleh Tseerchoo ; but we found 

 messengers there with intelligence that the Astore chief had 

 exhibited symptoms of disaffection to the Tibet Rajah, and 

 that he was not disj^osed to give the English stranger any as- 

 sistance in passing through his country. Soon after a letter 

 from Ahmud Shah apj)rized me that it was advisable that I 

 should avoid Astore and follow the route of Bearsoh. Eelin- 

 quishing the Astore direction, Ave ran up an eastern arm of 

 the valley leading to Deosoh. This great plain, called 

 Bearsoh or Deosoh, constitutes one of the principal features 

 of the Tibetian region. ISTear Cashmeer, elevated 13,100 feet 

 above the sea, and surrounded by lofty snowy peaks, it forms 

 a nearly level plateau about fifty miles long and forty in 

 breadth, occupying the interval between the Indus and the 

 Kishen Gunga. High above the forest or ' birch ' region, 

 its vegetation is restricted to herbaceous species, and a few 

 dwarf willows ; but these are so abundantly produced as to 

 clothe it with verdure. We halted on the plain at Chukinun- 

 Kurroo, proceeding thence in an easterly direction to Alii 

 Mullik-i-Mat, where we turned north, and ran up a lateral 

 branch of Deosoh, which gradually contracted into a ravine, 

 and conducted us to the foot of the Boorgee Pass. A nearly 

 perpendicular ascent of 600 feet brought us to the summit, 

 which I found to be elevated 15,600 feet above the sea. 



14. The Boorgee Pass commands an extensive view of the 

 mountains which stretch beyond the Indus towards Ttir- 

 kistan, and of part of the immediate vicinity of Iskardoh. 

 The verdure of Cashmeer was still fresh in our recollections, 

 and the plain of Bearsoh, which we had just left, after jour- 

 neying three days along it, although destitute of trees was 

 sheeted over with herbaceous vegetation. The prospect 

 which now opened upon us was contrasted in every respect. 

 Looking down -through a gloomy gorge, we saw a level tract 

 below, and countless lines of mountains running off' into the 

 remote distances. But there were no signs of vegetation 

 visible ; sterile sand, and naked rugged rocks, met the view 

 on every side. We descended the pass by a steep and most 

 difficult path to Kunkera Marphoh, Next day we continued 

 our descent, the gorge contracting as we advanced till it was 

 reduced to a narrow and nearly vertical cleft, across which a 

 military wall is built. Here, on the 8th of August, I met 



