1848.] Narrative of a Journey to Cho Lagan, fyc. 149 



lying snow except in the occasional severity of winter ; otherwise the 

 country would be quite uninhabitable. A heavy fall of snow which oc- 

 curred at Gartokh this summer in September (the same three days I 

 believe of universal rain on the south side of the Himalaya, or of snow 

 on the higher elevations), was considered a most unusual circumstance. 



I expected some view of the lakes from this lofty ridge, but they 

 were still hidden by intervening hills, some of which also rose high 

 enough to shut out Kailas, and there was no good prospect of the 

 country northwards. 



From this pass we descended again as much as we had come up from 

 Chujia-Tol, but more gradually, into a level valley with flat bottom, vary- 

 ing from one to three furlongs in width, winding between steep rounded 

 hills for many miles together, along which we continued till 10^ a. m. 

 when a small stream of water made its appearance, and we halted for 

 breakfast, &c. The name of this valley is Amlang ; a little further 

 on it turns northward, and drains into the Gyanima water, which I 

 noticed from Lama-Choktan. We were fortunate in finding no Bung 

 here, for the place is well adapted for pasturage, and occasionally fre- 

 quented by shepherds. I thought it a very pleasant spot — for Hundes. 

 The bottom was well covered with green herbage, and the surrounding 

 hills sheltered the valley from wind without excluding sunshine. Here 

 we saw some of the wild animals peculiar to Tibet ; the Kydng (Equus 

 hemionus ?) which I shall call the wild mule, for in appearance it is 

 half way between horse and ass. The hares, Rekong, differed much 

 from any that I had seen elsewhere ; the upper part of the body, head, 

 ears, &c. being of an iron-grey color ; belly, breast, and inside of legs 

 and ears white ; rump (and perhaps origin of tail) slaty blue, and a 

 long furry white tail. Ramsay (of Gurhwal) has seen hares between 

 the Nitipass and Dungpu answering to this description, save the long 

 white tails, which he does not acknowledge. I don't think I could 

 have been mistaken in these observations, for I had many good views 

 of these animals, who sat upright with reverted ears waiting my ap- 

 proach within a few yards ; yet in June last I saw many hares in the 

 vicinity of Dungpu, which were probably the same sort as described by 

 Moorcroft, (July 13th,) near Dam, somewhat different from the Eng- 

 lish or Indian hare, but without the remarkable peculiarities " a poste- 

 riori" noticed in these of Amlang, There appears to be some contrariety 



