THE TABLE LAND OF THIBET. 
353 
the broad, flat table-land, composed of range after range of 
inosculating stony terraces, with a little herbage, amongst 
which the Lachen river meanders. Five hundred feet far- 
ther we found ourselves at the top of a long flat ridge, con- 
necting the northwest extreme of Kinchin-jow with Cho- 
moimo, — and here stood the boundary mark. Happily, 
the weather cleared. Northward the plateau dipped by 
successive very low ridges, overhung with a canopy of the 
vapors that had deluged us. Easterly was the blue sky and 
low ridges ofjhe lofty table-land, which here backs the 
great range. To the west the spurs of Chomoimo and 
much mist veiled the horizon. Southeast Kinchin-jow, a 
flat topped mass of snow, altitude 20,000 feet, rose abrupt- 
ly from rocky cliffs and piles of debris. Southwest was 
Chomoimo, equally snow; while southward, between these 
mountains, the plateau dipped into the funnel-mouth head 
of the Lachen valley. Here I had an opportunity of solv- 
ing the great problem — the elevation of the Snow Line. 
Strange to say, there was not a particle of snow to be seen 
anywhere en route, right or left, nor on the great mountains 
for 1,500 feet above my position. The snow line in Sik- 
kim, lies on the Indian face of the Himalayan range, at be- 
low 15,000 feet — on the Thibetan (northern) slope at above 
16,000! I felt greatly delighted, and made a hasty 
sketch of the surrounding scenery :— somewhat rude, for 
at this great elevation my temples throb, and I retch with 
sickness. 
Just above 15,000 feet elU the plants are new; but the 
moment you reach the table-land nine-tenths of them disap- 
pear. Plants that are found at 12 — 13,000 feet on the In- 
dian approaches to Thibet, did not ascend to the top of the 
Pass ; still, as I always expected, at the turning point where 
the alpine Himalayan vegetation is to be soon replaced by 
Thibetan sterility, there is a sudden change in the Flora, 
and a development of species which are not found farther 
south, at equal altitudes in the Himalaya. We made a fire 
2S* 
