226 
THROUGH ASIA 
up the mountain -side, which grew steeper and steeper 
with every yard. The yaks kept plodding on, showing 
extraordinary sureness of foot ; but their halts were many 
and lono-. At length the clouds lifted, and revealed to 
our gaz^’e a panorama for which the only appropriate 
epithet is magnificent. The valley of Sarik-ko ay sprea 
out before us like a map. To the north we caught a 
glimpse of Little Kara-kul and Bulun-kul. On the south- 
west the view was shut in by the mountain-chains on each 
side of the Murghab ; whilst far down underneath our feet, 
towards the west, the tomb of Chum Kar Kashka crowned 
what appeared to be a little knoll of insignificant height; 
though we knew that, seen from the valley below, it was 
in reality a big mountain. _ 
At lem>-th we came to the glacier of Yam-bulak, and 
there made halt to rest awhile. We were then 15.900 feet 
above the level of the sea ; and consequently stood hi^er 
than the tops of all the mountains of Europe. The 
glacier moves with the majesty of a king out of its castle 
portals— that is to say, a deep, wide dislocation of the 
strata; but no sooner does it get plenty of open ground 
before it, than it spreads out to twice or three times its 
former width, at the same time growing of course thinner. 
All its moraines— terminal, lateral, new and old— together 
with the glacial stream, and its deposits of steely b ue 
mud— from the splendid coign of vantage we occupiec 
we had a bird’s-eye view of them all. 
Having attained the altitude of 17,500 f^^t, we found 
water boiled at .8o“5 Fahr. (82-5 C.), that the aneroid 
indicated 15.6 inches, and the thermometer read 23 9 
Fahr. {- 4 ° 5 C.). There we were overtaken by a buran 
so furious that we were compelled to stop where we 
were for several hours. Even when we did venture to 
make a fresh start, we were obliged to proceed with t e 
utmost caution ; for the freshly - fallen snow completely 
hid the treacherous cavities and projecting rocks which 
diversified the surface. 
When, after sundry hardships and adventures, we at 
length returned to camp, we found pleasing evidence of 
