ASCENDING MUS-TAGH-ATA 
347 
yaks, owing to their weight, might easily be the cause of 
an avalanche, in which case we should reach the foot of 
the mountain quicker than we bargained for, though in a 
mutilated condition. They furthermore told me, that from 
the valley below avalanches were sometimes seen falling 
on this very slope. The snow then soared up in enormous 
clouds, rolled together, and slipped over the precipices, 
smothering them in clouds of fine powder, and when it 
finally reached the valley it was partially turned to ice. 
At the level which we had then attained the snow' 
rested chiefly on a rock and gravel foundation, which was 
often exposed in the tracks made by the yaks. It only 
rested on ice close along the edge of the rocks, from which 
depended long icicles pointing straight down upon the 
surface of the glacier. On the top of the opposite or 
south w'all, on the other hand, there was a thick sheet 
of pure blue ice, clothing the mountain as with a supple 
coat of mail and conforming to its every irregularity. 
Though sorely against the grain, I now determined to 
turn back. We rapidly descended in our own footsteps 
and soon reached a more clement region, picking up the 
deserters and the yaks, which were still standing where 
we had left them, and reaching the camp at seven o’clock 
in the evening. There we found visitors awaiting us with 
gifts of provisions. 
Apart from the splendid opportunity it afforded for 
taking our bearings, and apart from the observations I 
had made, this expedition convinced me, that the northern 
summit of the Mus-tagh-ata could hardly be reached in 
a single day’s climb. It would be better, therefore, on 
a future occasion to allow two days, camping the first 
night at a considerable height, and continuing the n,ext 
day with our yaks well rested and with only a light 
equipment. The Kirghiz and Islam Bai w'ere very keen 
to make another attempt, so soon as a good opportunity 
presented itself 
But we had still three large glaciers to examine farther 
east, and therefore struck camp on August 8th, and moved 
to Terghen-bulak. Mollah Islam and I made a detour 
