OVER THE KWEN-LUN PASSES 951 
real relief that 1 saw the last of the animals disappear 
behind the summit of the pass. 
The southern side of the pass was much less steep, 
and led down into a wide glen with plenty of loose soil, 
but rather scanty yeylaks (pasture). On both sides it 
was shut in by imposing mountain-spurs, like those which 
overhung the Sarik-kol on the north. In consequence 
of the inconsiderable fall and the relatively feeble erosive 
power of the water, the solid rock was not eaten away, 
althouch the crest of the main range presented very 
& 
fantastic outlines. 
We kept beside the rivulet which babbled down the 
middle of the glen until we reached the broad main valley 
of Lama-chimin, and were just turning to the left, t.e. 
eastwards, towards the pass of ■ Chokkalik, when the 
aksakal, or chief, of the Taghliks, who was to guide 
us over it, blurted out that there was a more convenient 
pass called Yappkaklik in the upper valley of the Mitt. 
\\Ten therefore he told me that Chokkalik was the only 
pass across the range, he told me a deliberate lie. The 
fact was, he was afraid to show us a hitherto unknown 
path into Tibet, through fear of the Chinese. But, having 
brought us so far on the road, he plucked up courage a 
little, and gave me fuller and more definite information. 
I reprimanded him smartly for having deceived me and 
taken us under false pretences all the way over the passes 
of Dalai-kurgan, Chokkalik, and Sarik-kol. All the same, 
I was not sorry to have had the opportunity of making a 
reconnaissance of the district. 
We therefore turned and directed our course south-west, 
and then due south, crossed the brook that came down 
from the pass of Chokkalik, left the lower extremity of 
the glen of Dalai-kurgan on the right, and so threaded 
the transverse glen of Mitt, considerably further to the 
west. This glen too was pretty wide, and so level that 
to us, accustomed as w’e were to the steep slopes, it 
appeared to incline towards the south; but the course 
of the torrent, flowing in the opposite direction, convinced 
us that we were the victims of an ocular delusion. The 
