158 Narrative of a Journey to Cho Lagan, fyc. [Aug. 



bands of alternate white and purple : one of these bands more marked 

 than the rest encircles the base of the peak, and this, according to the 

 Hindu tradition, is the mark of the cable with which the Rakshasa 

 attempted to drag the throne of Siva from its place. Fragments of a 

 dark purple stone strongly resembling in color the rock of Kailas, 

 which I found on the shores of the lake, were a sort of rough jasper. 

 The openings on both sides of Kailas disclose only more mountains in 

 the rear ; the western ravine appears to be two or three miles deep ; 

 the back of the eastern recess is occupied by a fine pyramidal mass 

 rising in steps of rock and snow, with a curious slant caused by the 

 dip of stratification (to the eastward). I conjecture the average height 

 of the Gangri mountains to be about the same as the eastern ridge of 

 Kailas, 4250 feet above the plain, i. e, 19,500 feet of absolute elevation 

 above the sea, of which only the uppermost 1000 feet, or so, was now 

 tolerably well snowed, and the eastern summit of the peak of Kailas, 

 may be 1,500 feet higher, i. e. 21,000 feet ; at sunset I had a proof of 

 its inferiority to Momonangli, the snowy top of which was illuminated 

 a minute or two longer than Kailas. But in picturesque beauty Kailas 

 far surpasses the big Gurla, or any other of the Indian Himalaya that 

 I have seen ; it is full of majesty, a King of mountains. 



On a ledge in the base of Kailas, about the middle of the south side, 

 is Gangri, by the Hindustanis called Darchin. I could distinguish 

 nothing in the site pointed out to me : the buildings are few and mean, 

 I believe, and the place of no note except in the way of religious resort, 

 the concourse of pilgrims also attracting a little pedling trade in the 

 summer. 



Moorcroft, 3rd August 1812, found here "four houses of unburnt 

 brick or stones, and about 28 tents," to which may be added the Gum- 

 ba of Gyangtang. 



Through the ravines on either side of the mountain is the passage 

 by which the pilgrims make the parkarma ; the ciucuit is performed in 

 two days by those who take it easily, but with more exertion it may 

 be done in one day. There are four Gumba on the road, viz. 1st, 

 Nindi, in the western ravine, on the right bank of the Sarchu, and im- 

 mediately opposite the Peak of Kailas ; this is the principal shrine and 

 the head-quarters of the Lho-ba Lama. 2nd, Didiphu, which is 

 further up the ravine of the Sarcho : thence the pilgrim road crosses 



