504 Journal of a trip through Kunawur> fyc. [No. 101. 



that fossils must exist there, if they were really to be found in the 

 Spiti valley, and I consequently determined to devote another day to a 

 further search. Accordingly on the morrow I broke up my encamp- 

 ment, and repaired to the village we had seen on the heights above 

 Leedung, among the regions of snow. Having now plenty of time to 

 look about me, I commenced a closer search in the bed of a snow 

 stream, which had scooped a narrow channel through the decomposing 

 shales. Here I was soon rejoiced to find that I had at last " hit the 

 nail upon the head," and a large supply of Belemnites rewarded me 

 for wading ankle deep up the chilly stream. Along with these a few 

 broken Ammonites were also found, and a species of bivalve shell, 

 which the Tartars termed " puthur ka muchlee," or fossil fish. 



From this place, which was elevated 15,250 feet above the level of 

 the sea, and covered here and there with beds of snow, I proceeded, 

 after several hours search, to the village about a mile farther down, 

 where my tent was pitched and my people had all arrived. 



The following day was again devoted to a search for more and 

 better specimens in various directions, but to very little purpose ; and 

 seeing now no prospect of obtaining more, and being unable from the 

 depth of snow to search the lake of Chumor-ra-reel, now only three 

 days journey from us, I was reluctantly compelled to give the order to 

 retreat, for our provisions had dwindled to one day's supply, and 

 there was here no prospect of procuring more for love or money. 



The village at which we had encamped was called " Gewmil," 

 and had an elevation of 14,104 feet, yet here, in spite of reviewers 

 and reviews, surrounded in the month of June by deep and extensive 

 beds of snow, a fine and healthy tract of cultivation smiled, like 

 " some bright emerald midst the desert waste." At this season, however, 

 the wheat and barley was barely six inches above the ground, and from 

 the elevation of the tract, it seldom ripens before the first days of 

 October. The hills around it on every side are clothed to their sum- 

 mits with the Chinese furze (Astralagus of Royle) which notwith- 

 standing the advanced season of the year, had scarcely put forth a 

 single leaf. This backwardness was however somewhat unusual, and 

 was owing to the lateness of the last fall of snow, which throughout 

 the upper parts both of Kunawur and Spiti , had fallen two months 

 later in the season than is generally experienced ; so heavy indeed was 

 the snow still lying on many of the higher passes, that it is more than 



