1868.] Notes on the Pangong lake district of Laclakl^ 95 



and Chandra-bagha (Chenab) rivers. Give a greater rain-fall to the 

 Pangong district, and a lower snow line (now above 20,000 feet), 

 the ravines would be seen with fine running streams in them, and 

 allowing time, would cut through the barrier at the Surtokh La ;* 

 and eventually down through the whole length of the alluvial deposits 

 in this lake basin, the large valley and its tributaries then drained 

 would resemble most closely on either side the sand, shingle, and 

 conglomerate deposits now seen at Tankse and on the above-named 

 rivers. These deposits at Ote would be somewhat higher, and would 

 cover a greater area from the junction of the great tributary there. 

 The height of the waters of the Pangong have much diminished, 

 and are diminishing at the present day : the first travellers who 

 visited it, now some years ago, would I think find a marked difference 

 on its shores. The coolies of the district assured me that formerly, 

 say 30 years ago, it was not practicable to proceed along the southern 

 shore, following close to the edge of the lake from Phursook to Ote, 

 which at present is quite easy — even yaks can be taken. Only in 

 one or two spots was there any difficulty, where the cliffs approached 

 close down to the water's edge. A rise of 15 feet would bring the 

 water close to them, and even 10 feet would render such placees quite 

 impracticable for animals and nearly so for man. From other inform- 

 ation I could collect, the fall must now be from 1 to 1 J feet per 

 annum. The difficult spots mentioned above have only been practi- 

 cable for yaks for the last four years (1863) ; before that time the 

 track lay over a rough ridge a short distance back from the shore. 

 The men of the district also said that it is only for the last 20 years 

 or so, that the waters have fallen at this rapid rate. The rock that 

 lies out in the lake at its western end, distant 1J mile from the shore, 

 is about 5 feet high. It has only been noticed for the past four 

 years, so this would again give a fall of about one foot a year. Again 

 the numerous lines of the beach marks,— and at some points as many 

 as five and six can be counted,— denote falls of level of about a foot. 



* The rock bounding the north side of this pass is a hard crystalline lime- 

 stone, nearly on edge, up to the plane surface of which the ridge of detritus 

 extends. The depth to which the rocks in situ have been eroded prior to the 

 talus that has since been precipitated against them, is in all probability suffi- 

 cient to drain the whole extent of the Pangong and valley towards Tankse, 

 if these present accumulations were removed. 



