23 
birds at the end of a branch of a tree about 40 feet above the ground. Yunx torquilla is 
“ decidedly rare. Sit la and Certhia are not common. An Alauda is common here, inter- 
mediate in size between guttata and dulcivox. Dumeticola affinis is rare, and another 
large bird like Dumeticola is also rare. Dhylloscopi and Abrornis were numerous ; all had 
young. Motacilla personata, moderately common, also Budytes, Oroccetes cinclorhynchus, 
Turdus hodgsoni, two species of Machlolophus, &c. 
I got also several shells. A Bulimus, mostly found on the currant bushes, which are 
rather abundant here in forests ; an Ampullopsis ( Helicarion ) ; a small llotula, very like 
that found about Murree ; a slug like the one I got at Changligali, having the foot 
sharply crested ; and a species of Macrochlamys, or, perhaps, Zonites, which is rare ; it 
resembles JA. petasus, but grows larger. Afzul Khan brought me a Bliaiomys leucurus 
“ fr om about 11,000 feet.” From the 14th to 17th, before and after reaching Dras, there were 
some stiff marches, the elevations crossed rising to 11,800 feet, while the temperature ranged 
from 38° to 130°. On the 27th the party reached Leh, where a halt was made till the 11th 
of September. On the 19th the Pangong lake was reached, when observations on the lake 
were made by the surveyors of the party and the geology was examined by Stoliczka. At 
Kiam and Pangtung the hot springs were found to have temperatures ranging from 100° to 
135°, and a saline efflorescence connected with them consisted of soda and borax. 
Besides many birds, a wild yak and several Tibetan antelopes, Kemas hodgsoni, were 
seen between the above places. After the last-named date falls of snow caused much 
discomfort, but Stoliczka’ s diary does not dwell upon this, nor even upon a severe attack 
°f spinal meningitis which prostrated him for several days (1st to 6th October) at Kiziljilga. 
He merely records of it that he had been knocked up by the cold and had to remain nearly 
the whole time in tent, being therefore unable to observe. He was subsequently distressed 
at finding this sickness referred to as having been of a serious character in the newspapers, 
au d until Dr. Bellew impressed it upon him, did not realise the danger he had passed through, 
a ud the risk which would be involved in a second attack. The temperature here fell to 
from 10° to 15° below zero, and a few days later the minimum thermometer registered — 33 at 
midnight, in spite of which, however, he records that a little tortoiseshell butterfly, Vanessa 
urticce , was caught on the snow. 
On the 13th of October the advance party was joined by the main force of the mission under 
Hr. Forsyth. Stoliczka rode with the others to meet the Ambassador, and remarks, “ Strange, 
“ they all thought me very ill or dying ” (from the account they had received of his attack). 
As a matter of fact, however, in the week which had elapsed since his attack he had 
a ccomplished much hard work, and had resumed his usual observations. 
From Shahidula, which was reached on the 18th, a visit was paid to the famous Jade 
“frnes at Karakasli, which have supplied the Chinese with this much esteemed mineral 
smee the earliest times. The jade occurs in veins in mica schist, which is associated with 
syenite. A full account of the mines forms the subject of a special paper (No. 75) which 
■was printed in the Records of the Geological Survey. It is said, on the authority of 
Hr. Johnson, that the best iade was obtained further east, on the same range, on the road to 
Khotan. 
By means of yaks, which were supplied by Rosi-beg, the headman of the Sanju Kirghiz, the 
Hidjik or Jujgi pass was crossed on the 23rd. “ The Sanju pass is undoubtedly the most 
“ difficult we have had as yet ; our last day’s camp was about 13,500 feet high, while the 
“ pass is 16,500. The ascent is steep, and though the road is tolerable, the slope was m 
