OF THE RIVER SETLEJ. 393 



be contraband, as the greatest precautions are taken to prevent its being 

 -exported. A kind of coarse flannel or blanket stuff is manufactured here 

 and at Chang, probably at all the other villages, but it seems to be in no 

 great quantity. Ponies and mules constitute a great part of their wealth. 

 Upon the whole, the purgunnah though barren and naked, poor and thinly 

 inhabited, is no doubt capable of being made something of. It is principally 

 perhaps to be valued as the door of a communication which might be open- 

 ed with the Latakis and other Tartar tribes. 



Our experience of the preceding day's march, and of the ease and 

 quickness with which our mounted followers got on, induced us to accept 

 the offer of two good ponies which was made us here. Mounted on them, 

 we soon reached the summit of the Hangarang pass ; an elevation which 

 coincides with the limit of snow, and which is at the distance of about three 

 miles and three quarters from the village. The thermometer at twelve 

 o'clock, in the shade, and defended from the wind, stood at 34°. Hence we 

 had an extensive view ; the snowy peaks, Raiding and Zungling, were 

 both visible. 



The summit of this pass, which is 14,412 feet above the sea, consists of 

 limestone. This probably is the outgoing of the strata seen in the bed of 

 the Yulling river. It is the only instance in which I have seen limestone 

 at this great height within the circuit of these mountains. 



From the pass, the first two miles and a half is very steep descent to a 

 stream, which at one o'clock we found almost entirely frozen. To Sung- 

 nam, the remainder of the road is good, the path leading along the bed of 

 this stream which joins the Rushkalang below the village. The whole 

 distance was 103 miles : we found here the principal part of our baggage, 

 which we had ordered back from Dabling in our expectation of being per- 

 mitted to proceed to Guru. As this village was large, and there was no 



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