1868.] Notes on the Pangong lake district of Ladalch. 85 



the western branch leading to the Wuri La, while the eastern runs 

 up to the two passes above-mentioned. On the 15th July, when our 

 party crossed the Chang La, the snow that had fallen in the early 

 part of the month still lay covering about three miles of the road, 

 and being fresh, it was glaringly white in the sun and much affected 

 the eyes of our servants and the coolies, while all suffered more or 

 less from the effects of the rarified air ; curious to say, on the return 

 journey via the Kay La, 800 feet higher, scarcely a man suffered from 

 this cause ; we had then been living for some time at a high altitude, 

 which very probably had not a little to say to our immunity from the 

 fatigue and headache engendered at high elevations. The mountains 

 on the northern side are perfectly bare, a little grass growing only 

 along the bottom of the valley which had a steady easy slope the 

 whole way to Durgo ; a small tarn lies near the encamping ground 

 below the pass, and another somewhat larger is passed about a mile 

 further down the valley, and the scenery is not remarkable save for 

 its huge scale and bleakness. Before reaching the village of Durgo 

 one emerges out of the narrow valley upon the level surface of one 

 of those large accumulations of alluvial sands and shingles that are 

 seen along the large valleys of these mountains; the powerful force 

 that accumulated the materials that form them is now extinct, and 

 the circumstances attending their formation, and more wonderful 

 subsequent denudation, are as yet but little understood. At this 

 spot the vast scouring process was well exemplified, the level of the 

 plateau on which I stood could be traced across the valley in and out 

 of its numerous ravines in a perfectly horizontal line of a different 

 colour, where very small portions of the alluvium still adhered to the 

 slopes and precipices ; and I do not think I am exaggerating when 

 I state that its thickness at the junction of the streams below Durgo 

 was over 1,500 to 2,000 feet. Traversing the level surface of this 

 plateau for about a mile its edge is reached, and Durgo with 

 the valley up to Tankse is then clearly seen, a narrow green belt near 

 the river with barren easy slopes thence to the foot of the hills. 



The whole valley is very open,- low cliffs of alluvial sands and clays 

 can be traced the whole distance on both sides,— and it is self-evident 

 that at no very distant period this presented a long reach of water. An 

 after sojourn on the Pangong fully confirmed this; it was in fact 



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