114 Report on the Progress of the Magnetic Survey. [No. 2. 



they feared the Chinese soldiers stationed not far from Bushia ; be- 

 sides the time was far advanced for our intended researches in 

 Cashmere. The distance from the Northern foot of the Kuenluen 

 was one and a half day's journey ; already at Bushia the Alpine 

 character of the Central Kuenluen had disappeared, the height of 

 the summits in the environs of Bushia not exceeding 11,000 feet. 

 We left Siimgal August the 29th, and followed for three marches 

 the valley of the Karakash, which flows from Siimgal to Suget in a 

 westerly direction, then takes a sharp turn to the north, and from 

 thence flows for the most part in an east north-easterly direction. 



"We met on this road with very large quarries and mines, from 

 which is dug the Yashem stone (the Eahde), and which are resort- 

 ed to by people living at great distances. "We were enabled to pro- 

 cure for future analysis a good supply of the different varieties of 

 this stone, which is much valued throughout Central Asia. Suget, 

 a halting-place on the winter road to Yarkand, is six ordinary 

 marches distant from Karakorum. From Suget to Karakash, 

 another town of Khotan, is six marches. We started after due 

 deliberation on the 1st of September with Mahomed Amin and only 

 two laden horses, leaving our fresh horses and every thing else we 

 could do without, including our little tent. Some instruments, 

 blankets, furs and provisions were all our baggage. We succeeded 

 in making in twelve days about 220 English miles across the cen- 

 tral parts of the Kuenluen, (twenty-five inarches of the Russian 

 itinerary route from Yarkand to Leh). We reached Leh in the 

 evening of the 12th September. This river, as well as the other 

 streams descending from the northern slope of the Kuenluen, dis- 

 appears entirely after a short course in the sandy plains surrounding 

 lake Lop. 



The country between Suget and the Karakorum was new to us. 

 We had here a very good opportunity of examining and determining 

 the mean elevation of the plateau above mentioned. We also had, 

 before we reached the Pass, a very extensive view of the highest 

 central peaks, which we tried to draw in the scale of one 

 decree = one centimetre in length. 



Erom this point we wished to follow the Shayok river, as this 

 route would have taken us through a country new to us. We also 



