520 J\ r otes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley. [No. 5, 



ing the day, anJ the thermometer in my tent went down towards 

 morning to 30.° 



list. — Eecross the pass to camping ground in the Parilanghi river. 

 Temperature of the air at the top of the pass 56°. Much fresh snow 

 had fallen since first crossing it, the glare of which was very unplea- 

 sant. 



22nd, Kiba. 



23rd, Chikim. — Having procured fresh coolies, cross the stream 

 separating Kiba from Chikim and devote a day to the examination 

 of the neighbourhood. Chikim is situated in a broad valley partially 

 cultivated and well watered. The barley crops are now either ripen- 

 ing or being gathered in ; at Kiba they were still green in some 

 places, but heavy in the ear. 



24>th, Ki, 12,500 ft.* — Halt a day hereto examine the neighbourhood. 

 The monastery adjoining is one of the most picturesque buildings I 

 have ever seen, or rather group of buildings, perched on the summit 

 of an isolated peak a couple of hundred feet above the plain, and 

 protected behind by a stupendous limestone cliff, some fourteen hun- 

 dred feet high. 



26th, Killing. — Cross the Spiti river four miles below Ki, where 

 the rocky chasm through which it rushes like an arrow, is spanned by 

 a bridge formed of two trees, on which are laid wicker hurdles which, 

 though rather shaky, will support a horse or yak. 



27 th, Chang, 11,568 ft.* — A tedious march, road in parts very steep 

 and bad. In the small stream flowing into the Spiti river below 

 Kuling, found a species of Limnsea adhering beneath stones, the 

 same as noticed at Danka ; and near the camp, among river rejecta- 

 menta, a pupa and a couple of helices* small but very abundant. 

 These are the only land mollusca noticed in the valley, but they were 

 nowhere found in a living state. In a small feeder of the Spiti near 

 the camp saw some small fish, long and eel-like, sheltering under 

 stones, but could not capture any. Temperature of water 43°. 



29th, Mihim, 11,762 ft.* A rather pretty village situated on the 

 west bank of the Pin river, a little better than eight miles from its 

 mouth. 



30th, Muth, 1 2,306 ft.*— (Mud of Cunningham) . Cross the Pin river 

 a little below Mikim. Like all rivers flowing from glaciers, this 

 * Pupa rnuscoruru, Helix fulva, H. pulchella. 



