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



General Remarks on the Observations made during the 



Journey, from Ladak to Khotan. 



Magnetic Observations. 



In Leh, two complete series of Magnetic observations had besn 



made before our departure, and two Magnetic apparatus had been 



put up during our absence, one for the observation of the daily 



variation of the declination, another for the daily variation of the 



horizontal intensity. Observations were taken six times a day by 



our Native Doctor Hurkishen the whole time we were absent. 



During our journey to Turkistan we had with us a Declinometer, 



a Yibration Apparatus, and a Dipcircle. We took observations on 



the Sassar Pass, on Karakorum, in Sumgal, and in Suget. The 



mean of the declination at Leh was, from July to September, very 



near 2° 44' East. The declination decreased on the points above 



mentioned, and was in Suget 2° 12' East. 



The mean for the inclination was — 



At Leh, M 46° 50' 20" 



On Sassar Pass, 48 11 75 



On Karakorum Pass, 49 8 



In Sumgal, 50 1 3 



InSuget, 50 4 5 



Geographical Remarks. 

 Extensive plateaux are to be found on both sides of Karako- 

 rum, being most extensive to the north and west of the Pass. 

 Eastward the plateaux terminate completely in the longitude of 

 Changchenmo, where we met again with valleys and ridges, both 

 well denned. A similar succession of ridges and valleys is also 

 the principal character of Ladak, where plateaux are generally 

 not met with. The mean height of the plateau to the north and 

 west of Karakorum is from 16,800 to 17,000 feet. The point where 

 the plateaux reach the greatest mean elevation, probably the loftiest 

 plateau in the world, is a little to the north of the sources of the 

 Shayok. To the south of this region between Karakorum and the 

 Nubra Valley, a second region of a great general elevation was 

 found, in which some single peaks seem to attain the greatest 

 absolute height. We had an opportunity of measuring some peaks 

 one of which was 24,000 feet. 



