1848.] 



deputed to the Tibetan Frontier. 



117 



Bate. 



16th Oct. 



Halting 

 place. 



Lama yurru 



17th 



Heska. 



No. of 

 miles. 



8# 



Remarks. 



bridge 8 feet broad, 77 feet long, and 

 45 feet above the water. On the right 

 bank there is a wall square bridge-head, 

 built of sun-dried bricks, with a guard 

 of 12 men. 



Road for first half mile along the left 

 bank of the Indus. It then turns to 

 the southward up the right bank of a 

 small stream, the Wanla chu, which at 

 2 miles was crossed by a sanga. The 

 stream winds considerably, but its ge- 

 neral direction is to the south. After 

 crossing it twice more the road left the 

 main stream, and proceeded up a nar- 

 row ravine which gradually opened out 

 into a well-cultivated valley. I ob- 

 served immense masses of a fine pale 

 straw-colored clay in all positions from 

 the bed of the river up to more than 

 1000 feet in height ; and resting on the 

 slate which stands at a highly inclined 

 angle of nearly 80° after observing 

 these undoubted marks of a large lake 

 having once existed in this spot, I was 

 much interested on hearing the Lamas 

 of the place ascribe the founding of 

 their Monastery to one Naropa, a 

 Lama of Brigiing near Lhasa, who 

 drained the Lama Yurru Lake many 

 centuries ago by cutting through the 

 opposing rocks. The tradition is curi- 

 ous, as it may perhaps show that this 

 lake must have existed at a compara- 

 tively late period; unless indeed we 

 give the Lamas credit for rather nice 

 observation and the consequent deduc- 

 tion. 



Road for 5 miles an easy and gra- 

 dual ascent to the top of the Puss called 

 Photola, 13,000 feet in height. Thence 

 an easy descent, of 4 miles to Heska ; 

 on the right bank of a small stream 

 and bluff rock, above the village, there 

 is a deserted Lamaic monastery. 



