384 COURSE AND LEVELS 



clothes the nakedness of these. A furious wind seems to reign here ; it 

 blows from about ten till three or four o'clock, when it lulls, but of its force 

 it is difficult to give an idea ; in steadiness I may compare it to the hot wind 

 of the plains, A road was pointed out, to us, which they said leads to Gam ; 

 the distance a journey of twenty-two days. The road is passable for horses, 

 though not verv good. 



There is also a road hence to Rupsho, five day's journey, of about eight 

 or nine miles each. From Rupsho, Rutoh is twenty day's journey, and Leh 

 ten; from Skalkar represented to be a few miles ahead, Lari is two day's 

 journey, and Dankar fort, five. 



Thermometer 2G°. To Skalkar fort was only a distance of four miles ; the 

 path leading along the river edge, which is here unobstructed by large rocks 

 and has rather a temperate current ; we crossed it on a sanga, boarded and 

 railed, but rather rickety; the length of it being ninety-eight feet, and the 

 height above the water twenty-seven. The fort is on the edge of the bank, 

 and may be said to overhang the river ; it is built of stone and is small, but 

 from its situation capable of being well defended. One of the Wazirs (as 

 they are called) of Bissahir, lives here part of the year. It was considered 

 by these people a very important post previously to our conquest of the moun- 

 tains, and it appears that they have had frequent contests with the Latakis 

 for the possession of it. Indeed it occurs to me that all Hangarang must 

 have been formerly a part of Ladak, and wrested from the rajah of that 

 country by the Bissahir government. The separation of the two districts is 

 so decided, and the line which marks it so strong, while from Hangarang to 

 Ladak no difference is perceptible, that I cannot but believe the Hangarang 

 pass was formerly the boundary of Bissahir. 



We had now reached the thirty- second degree of latitude, and had left the 

 true Himalaya far to the southward, while a new country of entirely a dif- 

 ferent aspect lay before us. To proceed still further was of course our most 



