LITTLE KARA-KUL LAKE 
311 
dark mirrors, in which all the , fantastic projections of the 
mountains were clearly reflected. 
“ During the ensuing days I explored the country round 
our new camping-ground, and mapped the west shore of 
Little Kara-kul. First of all we followed the shore-line, 
and where the rocks fell sheer into the lake we rode 
through the water, on the disintegrated terraces at their 
base. Then we made short excursions from the lake to 
the neighbouring mountains, where we often had decidedly 
disagreeable passages to traverse. There was one point 
which was especially favourable for studying this remark- 
able and beautiful Alpine region. Each of the twenty-one 
glaciers of the Mus-tagh chain was visible with the field- 
glass, clearly lit up, so that every detail was distinct. The 
slopes of the chain were draped with dazzling white snow, 
except the rocky pinnacles which projected highest. In 
places however, particularly in the lower regions, the snow 
was tinged a dirty yellow, due to dust brought thither by 
the wind. On the summits the snow formed a continuous 
covering, closely following the relief of the underlying 
mountains ; but in several places Its lower edge was 
broken, the snow having slid down over the precipices. 
Otherwise the tendency of the snow is to gravitate towards 
the gathering-basin of the glaciers, whence It is gradually 
dispersed by the ice-streams. These are sometimes narrow 
and compact, sometimes hive-shaped, sometimes thin and 
spreading, but always covered with gravel and boulders, 
which rest on the belts of ice between the transverse 
crevasses and give the glaciers a striped appearance. 
Some of the ice-streams are so covered with moraines 
that it is only with difficulty they can be distinguished 
from their surroundings. 
“A trip to the isthmus between the two small lakes 
showed that they were separated from each other by a 
decayed, and often broken, moraine-wall, beside which 
we found erratic gneiss blocks measuring as much as 
1000 cubic metres or 35,300 cubic feet, and with beautifully 
polished surfaces. It was plainly the oldest of the terminal 
moraines of the former Ike-bel-su glacier. 
