238 EAST NEPAL. Chap. X. 



which furrows the surface of the snow into channels by 

 which the water is carried off : the effect is very beautiful, 

 but impossible to represent on paper, from the extreme 

 delicacy of the shadows, and at the same time the perfect 

 definition and precision of the outlines. 



Towards the head of the lake, its bed was quite dry and 

 gravelly, and the river formed a broad delta over it s 

 the terraces here were perhaps 100 feet above its level, 

 those at the lower end not nearly so much. Beyond the 

 lake, the river became again a violent torrent, rushing in a 

 deep chasm, till we arrived at the fork of the valley, where 

 we once more met with numerous dry lake-beds, with 

 terraces high up on the mountain sides. 



In the afternoon we reached the village of Yangma, a 

 miserable collection of 200 to 300 stone huts, nestling under 

 the steep south-east flank of a lofty, flat-topped terrace, 

 laden with gigantic glacial boulders, and projecting south- 

 ward from a snowy mountain which divides the valley. We 

 encamped on the flat under the village, amongst some stone 

 dykes, enclosing cultivated fields. One arm of the valley runs 

 hence N. N. E. amongst snowy mountains, and appeared 

 quite full of moraines ; the other, or continuation of the 

 Yangma, runs W.N. W., and leads to the Kanglachem pass. 



Near our camp (of which the elevation was 13,500 feet), 

 radishes, barley, wheat, potatos, and turnips, were cultivated 

 as summer crops, and we even saw some on the top of the 

 terrace, 400 feet above our camp, or nearly 14,000 feet 

 above the sea ; these were grown in small fields cleared of 

 stones, and protected by dykes. 



The scenery, though dismal, (no juniper even attaining 

 this elevation,) was full of interest and grandeur, from the 

 number and variety of snowy peaks and glaciers all around 

 the elevated horizon, the ancient lake-beds, now green or 



