1868.] Notes on the Pangong lalte district of Ladakli. Ill 



three spots was there found barely sufficient for the yaks ; a few large 

 patches of snow still lay on the plain, these (for the hill sides were 

 now quite bare of it) were the remains of deep drifts formed by the 

 winter winds. Water was also very scarce, and we could obtain none 

 that day until we reached the spot chosen for camp in the evening. 

 The distances on this plain seemed interminable, the ends of low pro- 

 jecting spurs appeared in the clear atmosphere quite close at hand ; and 

 had not the position of the pass ahead been fixed tolerably correctly on 

 my plane table, we should, in all probability, have made our plans to 

 reach it that evening ; and my fellow traveller would not believe that 

 it lay so far to the east as it did. The "mirage" on the flat gravelly 

 plain had at times the appearance of beautiful blue still lakes ; antelopes 

 were very numerous ; and running across the plain in vicinity of this 

 appearance, looked double their natural size. We found the sun very 

 hot in the middle of the day ; but while waiting for our tents in the 

 afternoon, found a blazing fire very comfortable ; and the night, with 

 the usual great alternation of temperature, was very cold. We were on 

 our way up the valley early on the 13th August, but did not reach the 

 foot of the low hill until the afternoon. Antelope still very plentiful, 

 and the males magnificent creatures, with beautiful long thin horns. 

 The summit of the pass (17,960 feet) was quite 1,500 feet above the 

 level of the valley at camp, but the ascent very gradual. The snowy 

 mountains on the south could now be well seen, their valleys filled with 

 ice,, and from the pass in easterly direction lay another valley which 

 also widened out into another of the same type as that we had marched 

 up ; the hills seemed to fall on both sides, and the country generally 

 to take a more open plateau like character. I could not spare time to 

 proceed any further, I had much work to finish in the rear, and some 

 high points to ascend, which the early snow-falls would shut up for 

 the season. I much longed to explore, but could not do so. Mr. 

 Turnor went on beyond for two days, and gave me afterwards a sketch 

 of the ground. It appeared that some ten miles further, the open 

 valley turned sharp south, and disclosed a long piece of water like the 

 Pangong, but the mountains shut out the end of it, nor did he even 

 get so far as the edge to tell me whether it was fresh or salt ; so that 

 this may be, for all we know, another rival to the great Pangong Tso. 

 Turnor saw six or seven miles of its waters, which he described as 



