aS£ COURSE AND LEVELS 



and to it the path is a continued ascent; the elevation I calculated to be 

 about 11,815 feet, judging from the boiling point. The path improves after 

 rounding the corner, and the appearance of the mountains alters still more. 

 The granitic and high sharp peaks give way to low rounded mountains, with 

 scarcely any snow on them, and still less vegetation ; nothing can equal the 

 complete nakedness of this Purgunnah of Hangarang, and it is a wonder 

 how the people contrive to support themselves. Nako contains about thirty 

 houses, and is situated on the western declivity of the Purkyul mountain ; 

 there are a few apricot trees, poplars and oziers, and barley and wheat, are 

 grown still higher than the village, though its elevation be nearly 12,000 feet. 



We noticed a curious appearance in this day's march, which we had af- 

 terwards occasion to observe, was very common in this part of the country. 

 It was a conformation of ice, having all the regularity of a'Vegetable pro- 

 duction ; it seems to grow from the stalk of a particular plant and from no 

 other, it is fantastically disposed in leaves having various whirls or twists. 

 The leaves as they may be called have a fibrous appearance, but grow (con- 

 trary to the habit of real leaves) perpendicularly from the stem, like a 

 pendant on its staff. We observed a great number of these glacial plants, 

 (if they may be so called,) but whence the moisture came is difficult to say, 

 for the ground was gravelly and arid. It is equally difficult to account for 

 the ice assuming that particular form, and growing so as to raise itself seve- 

 ral inches above the ground. It may be worth remarking that in every in- 

 stance, the plant to which it attaches itself, and which is a small leafy shrub, 

 was withered and sear. 



The thermometer was in the morning 23° and all the water in our vessels 

 was frozen nearly an inch thick, even inside the tent. From Nako to 

 Chang was a distance of one hundred and five miles; the path is good the 

 whole way, and the ascent which continues the first half, and descent 

 from thence to Chang, are both easy ; several flats and hollows are seen in 



