1868.] Notes on the Pangong lake district of La da kh. 107 



took leave of us on the Dimjor La, so that we proceeded on the next 

 day alone. The valley below camp took the usual configuration and 

 ran towards the north-west, with a bed about one fourth of a mile broad. 

 At about three miles we reached the confluence of a large valley from 

 the north, and up this T determined to proceed, and thence ascend to 

 Kiepsang, trigonometrical station. Several Kiangs were here seen, 

 and up the valley numerous Tibetan antelope. After marching up the 

 gravelly wide bed for five miles, whose main tributary turned to the 

 east, and ended in an extensive elevated plain on the surface of which 

 lay some large snow beds, we were rather at a loss to find water. I 

 took the eastern branch, while the yaks and servants proceeded up the 

 western (the Nertse Looniba), towards a patch of green grass where I 

 thought water would be found, and this proved to be the case. From 

 this the staff on the top of Kiepsang was visible, and a very delightful 

 little pull-up it looked. I followed the eastern branch to a low pass, 

 which overlooked a narrow gorge that terminated a short way down 

 on another high level plain. There was no track of any kind to be 

 seen here, and my guides told me that the country on beyond was 

 grazed over by a nomad tribe, called Kirghis, who did not own 

 allegiance to the Rudok authorities ; that they were great thieves and 

 robbers, and occasionally came into Tankse to exchange their wool for 

 grain, of which they had none. These are the people who wander 

 over the plains, thence to Ilchi and into a terra incognita on the east. 

 It was not until late that I got back to camp, going to bed with the 

 prospect of a stiff ascent next day. I was up and off very early, taking 

 some breakfast with me ; at this hour it was very cold, and the water 

 of the little stream was frozen hard, and the backs of the yaks were 

 quite white with frost. I took the line of a ravine which led up to 

 the ridge east of the Kiepsang staff, the ascent was most fatiguing, 

 over the loose angular debris that filled the steep bed of this ravine, 

 whose waters were frozen into water-falls of ice. In this ravine we put 

 up from under a rock a hare so benumbed with cold, it could not run, 

 and it was knocked over with a stick by one of my coolies, to his 

 great delight. On reaching the ridge, there was still a long pull up 

 to the pole, but the view recompensed all the labor to legs and lungs ; 

 the ascent was 3,200 feet, the peak being 20,035, while the camp 

 below was about 16,800. Bleak wastes of hill and wide dry drainage 



