370 COURSE AND LEVELS 



most curious and novel appearance, (at least to me ;) they were twisted antl 

 waved, and apparently lifted up in different directions : beyond this spot, 

 we observed the river for nearly half a mile collected as in a great lake ; 

 the surface smooth enough to reflect the surrounding mountains as in a 

 mirror: it then precipitates itself down a step of rocks with all the foam 

 and impetuosity of a cataract ; the fall is however not great, perhaps about 

 three or four feet. The river bed is of a moderate width, and here and there 

 remains a level strand, of iifty to a hundred yards, along which the path 

 lies. In this level piece, we observed frequent cumuli, or heaps of stones ; 

 they were built with some care, their length was various, their width about 

 three or four feet, and their height the same; on the top were thrown loose- 

 ly a number of stones covered with inscriptions, or rather, I should say, with 

 one inscription, for on examining and comparing them, it was perceived that 

 they were all repetitions of the mysterious expression noticed by Captain 

 Turner, Om maw nee put men hoong. The letters were in relief and exe- 

 cuted with considerable neatness. 



Seven miles and a quarter from X>abling, we came to the confluence of 

 a river of nearly equal size with the Setlej, but could not learn its proper 

 name. The people called it Spiti Maksang. Spiti being the name of the 

 Purgunnah it flows through, and Maksang signifying a river: the left branch, 

 which is the largest, retains the name of Lang Jing Kampa, and is the proper 

 Setlej. The Spiti appeared to flow here between two lofty walls of rock, 

 and of great steepness : a small hamlet called Kap, of two houses, overlooks 

 the confluence, and this is the highest place where the grape grows. There 

 are no grapes at Dabling, but Dabling is considerably elevated above the 

 river, though at Po'i which is in the bed of the river, there are : the grapes of 

 Kap are scarcely worth cultivating; they do not ripen properly, and are 

 little better than the produce of the wild vine which is found in the lower 

 part of Kanawer. 



Namja is a village of about twenty houses. It is situated in a most bleak, 



