226 Journal of a trip through Kulu and Ldhul, fyc. [March, 



long bushy tails, and droves of sheep and goats. The hair of the 

 Yaks is cut every summer, and woven into the coarse cloth of which 

 they make their tents. During the winter they live in the valley of the 

 Indus : in the summer they move to any places where they can find 

 grass, water, and fuel. They exchange their wool with the traders for 

 wheat, flour, tobacco, and any thing else that they may require. 



Tuesday, 15th September. To the bank of the Chokhar, or " Salt 

 lake," distance 6 miles. The road lay towards the S. E. over a low 

 pass with an easy ascent, but a steep and bad descent. The rock here 

 changed from mica slate to gneiss. We halted near a small religious 

 building on the southern end of the salt lake, which is about five miles 

 long by three miles broad, and which was covered with thousands of 

 wild ducks and wild geese. The water of the lake is salt and bitter, 

 and the whole shore is covered with white banks of the saline efflore- 

 scence. Height above the sea 14,961 feet. The thermometer fell to 

 9° during the night. There are on all sides the clearest marks of the 

 former higher level of this lake about 60 feet above the present surface 

 of the water. The former extent is shown in the map by a brown 

 shade surrounded by a dotted line. 



Wednesday, 16th September. Marched 10 miles to a nameless halt- 

 ing place to the north of the Nakpo Gonding Pass. Road at first due 

 east, along the southern shore of the salt lake for 4 miles ; it then 

 crosses the stream of fresh water 10 feet broad flowing from a small 

 fresh water lake to the south. Thence for 2 miles alternately over 

 sandy flats, and hard caked sheets of saline efflorescence. Beyond 

 this it lies due east for four miles over slightly undulating and very 

 stony ground along the bank of a dry nullah, in which a few puddles 

 of melted snow water occurred at our halting-place. The large blue 

 hares are very common at the foot of the hills on both sides of this 

 nullah. They have enormously long ears ; and live under the stones. 

 I shot half a dozen in half an hour on my return at this very spot. 



Thursday, 17 th September. To the foot of the Nakpo Gonding 

 Pass, distance 9 j miles. Road for the first four miles a very gradual 

 ascent to the crest of the Poldong or Pulakonka Pass. Beyond this, 

 at a mile and a half, we crossed the deep bed of a nullah coming from 

 the S. W. source about 10 miles distant : thence for 4 miles the road 

 continued to ascend over stony spurs ; passing a small stream which 



