1848.] Journal of a trip through Kulu and Ldhul, fyc. 229 



quence of heavy snow, I should have examined the south-eastern 

 quarter also to ascertain whether there was any visible outlet to the 

 lake. Were there no outlet, the water would be salt as in the other 

 lakes ; and there would certainly be considerable rise in its level during 

 the day from the melting of the snow, and a corresponding fall at night. 

 Dr. Gerard however declares that " whilst it is fed by several considerable 

 streams, it has no efflux, and is kept at its level entirely by evaporation." 

 I cannot agree with this opinion, for it appears to me that the greater 

 the evaporation the more salt should be the water, which is not the 

 case, as it tasted sweet to me, and Trebeck found it only brackish. The 

 lake is 15 miles in length and from 2 to 3 miles in breadth. The 

 water is beautifully limpid, and of a deep blue colour. I saw but few 

 wild geese upon the lake. The mountains on both sides were perfectly 

 bare excepting near their summits, where there were some patches of 

 snow ; they do not appear to rise more than 3000 feet above the level 

 of the lake. 



Sunday, 20th September. Marched 10 miles and 7 furlongs to the 

 southern end of the lake, to the bank of a small stream which joins it 

 from the west. It began to snow about 7 o'clock, and continued 

 snowing the whole day and night. In the morning the snow was a foot 

 deep on the ground, and six inches thick on the roof of my tent. As 

 the coolees positively refused to proceed any further, we were obliged to 

 yield to them, and to make arrangements for retracing our steps. Ac- 

 cordingly on 



Monday, 2\st September, we marched to Korzo Gungpa, 13 miles 

 over the snow : from which place I returned by the route already de- 

 scribed, excepting that instead of visiting "Rukchin, I went straight from 

 the Chokhar, or great salt lake, to the More-cho ; crossing the Sapokong 

 Pass, and halting at a shepherd's station, called Takzum, where I shot 

 several hares. 



On the 26th I joined Lord Elphinstone and Major Bates and march- 

 ed in company with them to Simla. We crossed the Bara-Lacha 

 Pass on the 28th of September, where it was still free from snow. On 

 the 5th of October we crossed the Rotang Pass, on which we found 

 fresh snow from a foot to a foot and a half in depth ; and we were 

 just in time, for the people assured us that the Pass would be com- 



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