18G8.] Notes on the Pangong lake district of Ladahh. 87 



was contemporary with that above Muglib. Above the two lakes, 

 Tragume Bur Tso, there is no longer any water in the bed of the 

 stream save at intervals here and there, where it breaks out in a small 

 rill to lose itself in the loose gravel a few yards lower down. Over 

 distances of more than a mile it is deep white sand, the collection of 

 which is a good deal due to the wind. Down to this sand the talus 

 from the mountains extends tending every year to increase the height 

 of level. At the low pass of Surtokh, whence one obtains the first 

 view of the Pangong lake, this action is nowhere so well seen ; this 

 ridge of Surtokh forms the watershed across the natural exit for the 

 waters of the great lake and is entirely formed by the loose shingle 

 brought down a somewhat large lateral ravine from the snowy peaks 

 to the south : this bed of talus actually divides, part to the eastward, 

 part to the west, as exemplified in the sketch annexed (Fig. 1), so 

 that the waters may in some years flow one way, in others another. 

 If the supply of water to the Pangong lake were equal to what it 

 must formerly have been when the glaciers were double their present 

 size, the continual flow of water would soon carry off these talus 

 accumulations from the mountains above Surtokh ; there being now 

 no force in action for this purpose, the snows of winter and the waters 

 of the side ravines tend to raise the main valley level every year. 

 The Pangong Tso (lake) is about two and a half miles distant from 

 the low ridge of the Surtokh La, or more properly speaking, its 

 natural bar or bund, but the level of the old lake bed extends up to 

 within a very short distance of the pass. A rise of 150 feet ;n the 

 waters of the present lake would find them again an exit down the 

 valley to Tankse. A Trigonometrical station lies close to the water's 

 edge, it bears east-south-east from a rock, a quarter mile distant out 

 in the lake, and is marked with a stone having the usual dot and 

 circle cut on it ; its height has been determined trigonometrically to 

 be 13,931 feet above the sea. From this mark-stone, a fine view of 

 the first long reach of this elevated and interesting piece of water is 

 obtained. Its colour is of an intense blue, the water as clear as crystal, 

 but far too saline to be drinkable ; there was quite a true salt water 

 feel in the air as the wind blew off it. This was a good site froiri 

 which to form a commencement of my survey work, as knobs and 

 peaks were seen for many a mile along the spurs that descended from 



