Dec. 1848. MOUNTAIN TARN. CAMP. 267 



south, obliquely into the Yalloong valley. I was very 

 uneasy about the coolies, who were far behind, and some of 

 them had been frost-bitten in crossing the Kambachen pass. 

 Still I thought the best thing was to push on, and light 

 large fires at the first juniper we should reach. The change, 

 on passing from off the snow to the dark earth and rock, 

 was so bewildering, that I had great difficulty in picking 

 my way. Suddenly we came on a flat with a small 

 tarn, whose waters gleamed illusively in the pale moon- 

 light : the opposite flanks of the valley were so well 

 reflected on its gloomy surface, that we were at once 

 brought to a stand-still on its banks : it looked like a 

 chasm, and whether to jump across it, or go down it, or 

 along it, was the question, so deceptive was the spectral 

 landscape. Its true nature was, however, soon discovered, 

 and we proceeded round it, descending. Of course there 

 was no path, and after some perplexity amongst rocks 

 and ravines, we reached the upper limit of wood, and 

 halted by some bleached juniper-trees, which were soon 

 converted into blazing fires. 



I wandered away from my party to listen for the voices 

 of the men who had lingered behind, about whom I was 

 still more anxious, from the very great difficulty they would 

 encounter if, as we did, they should get off the path. The 

 moon was shining clearly in the black heavens ; and its 

 bright light, with the pale glare of the surrounding snow, 

 obscured the milky way, and all the smaller stars ; whilst 

 the planets appeared to glow with broader orbs than 

 elsewhere, and the great stars flashed steadily and 

 periodically. 



Deep black chasms seemed to yawn below, and cliffs rose 

 on all sides, except down the valley, where looking across 

 the Yalloong river, a steep range of mountains rose, seamed 



