THROUGH ASIA 
368 
ably above the surface of the ice : but as the stones 
lay in a single thin stratum, the ice projected through 
them in fine needles, “ razor-backs, and pinnacles. This 
was due to the stones having gradually sunk into the ice, 
imparting to the surface a peculiar knotted and rugged 
appearance. 
We managed to get entangled in a labyrinth of 
moraine-ridges, pyramids, and ice-clefts. After crossing 
the moraine, we went on over the middle of the glacier , 
and we had many adventures in the twilight, which 
quickly turned to darkness. The travelling was so bad 
that we preferred to walk, jumping over the crevasses and 
streams. The Kirghiz drove the yaks before them, and 
it was a pleasure to see with what agility the animals 
scrambled up icy slopes several feet in height, in which 
they were sometimes obliged to scrape out a step before 
they could get foothold. At last we reached the right 
lateral moraine. There we discovered several small 
glacier-lakes on the ice. Owing to the sluggish move- 
ment of the ice-masses they were always convex at their 
lower end. The two lateral moraines stretched a good 
way farther down than the middle of the glacier; for 
the ice they covered was sheltered from the sun, and 
consequently slower in melting. 
Below the glacier-tongue we had to pass a succession 
of old terminal moraines, built up in front of it like 
ramparts, and broken through by the united stream. It 
was now become quite dark, and I was obliged to follow 
closely in the footsteps of one of the Kirghiz, in order to 
see where I was going. Another man goaded on the 
yaks ; while a third was looking for one of the beasts, 
which had gone astray on its own account among the 
moraines, and was not recovered until the following 
day. After much trouble and many detours we managed 
to make our way back to camp without further ad- 
venture. 
One of the points in my summer programme was to 
ride into the Pamirs ; and as some of our stores showed 
signs of giving out, particularly the tea and sugar, I 
