1870.] Report on Trans- Himalayan Explorations, Sfc. 53 



to Almorah, Nepal, &c, is extracted. The salt from Tibet is pre- 

 ferred by the people of Kumaon and most hill men, though the 

 salt from the plains is to be had at much the same price. 



The P n n cl i t heard of another salt lake to the east of Chak- 

 ckaka, which with other similar lakes probably supplies a portion 

 of that which is generally understood to come from Chak-chaka. 



The next place of importance seen by the Pundit was Thok- 

 Sarlung which at one time had been the chief gold field of the 

 district, but had been in a great measure abandoned on the dis- 

 covery of the Thok-Jalung gold field. The Pundit passed a great 

 excavation, some 30 to 40 feet deep and 200 feet in width and two 

 miles in length, from which the gold had been extracted. He 

 heard of another gold field to the west, but his route took him di- 

 rect to the Thok-Jalung gold field, which he found in much the 

 same state as when visited by the ChiefPundit. The Pundit 

 and his party excited no particular notice, and they were conse- 

 quently able to march on after halting a day to rest. 



From Thok-Jalung they passed through the Majin country, part- 

 ly undulating and partly quite level, but all about the same alti- 

 tude, viz. — .15 to 16,000 feet above the sea. The drainage sloped 

 towards the east, and nothing but comparatively low rounded hills 

 were visible in that direction; whilst on the west the party skirted 

 a large plain of a yellowish colour said to be drained by the Upper 

 Indus. 



The party passed numerous lakes producing salt and borax, and 

 after 9 days' journey in a south easterly direction, found themselves 

 at Kinglo, a large camp on the banks of a river called the Chu- 

 sangpo, which is so large that it cannot be forded during the sum- 

 mer. This river flows eastward and falls into the lake called Nala- 

 Eing-tso or Tso-Sildu, said to be about the same size as the Man- 

 sarowar lake ; it has a small island in the centre. The lake is re- 

 ported to receive a large stream from the south, another from the 

 east, and a third from the north, the latter draining part of the 

 Phaiyu-Pooyu district. Though receiving so many streams, (one 

 of which, as noted above, is a large one), the lake is nevertheless 

 said to have no exit. 



To the south of the lake there is a well known monastery called 



