ASCENDING MUS-TAGH-ATA 
345 
other yak they rode turn and turn about. They too 
complained of splitting headache, and were ready to drop 
from breathlessne.ss. I did not suffer much from either of 
these symptoms, though I had a slight headache, which 
increased when we got higher up ; but I was only attacked 
with breathlessness when I got off the yak to make 
observations. The slight exertion of remounting the 
animal gave me violent palpitation of the heart, and 1 
was almost choked by breathlessness. On the other 
hand, the yak’s movements, which were now much more 
laboured, did not affect me in the least. I had suffered 
much more at a far lower altitude on Mount Demavend, 
in Persia, but on that occasion I w'as on foot. The secret 
lies in avoiding bodily exertion as far as possible ; for 
instance, you can ride up to a very considerable altitude 
without suffering much from that species of discomfort. 
In this ascent however all the Kirghiz were ill, a couple of 
them even declared they were going to die; while 1, on 
the contrary, kept comparatively brisk the whole time. 
But the Kirghiz, in spite of my remonstrances, persisted 
in leaving their yaks behind, and what with struggling 
through the snow and climbing up the steep declivities, 
they exhausted the strength which they so greatly needed 
to withstand the enervation caused by the rarefaction of 
the air. 
Meanwhile, a fresh wind sprang up from the south-west, 
driving the snow, which was as fine as flour, and without 
a crust, into eddies ; while the sky became hidden by 
thick clouds. As we were all now rather done up, we 
determined to halt and take observations. Bread and tea 
were brought out, and fuel to boil the water for the 
latter ; but we had only to look at the food, and we were 
seized with such a choking sensation that none of us would 
touch it. We suffered only from thirst, and looked long- 
ingly at the snow, which the yaks licked up in large 
mouthfuls. 
The view which presented itself from this point (20,660 
feet) was inconceivably grand. We could see right across 
the Sarik-kol chain far away to the picturesque snow- 
