Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/225

Rh issues from a cavern at the foot of a very much larger glacier than the preceding. Some 5 miles up, this glacier forks, each branch being about 7 miles in length; one of them is heavily laden with débris, some of the blocks being of enormous size, whilst the other is quite clean, with only a narrow dirt-band running along one side. On one side of this laden glacier, which I propose to distinguish as the Masherbrum Glacier, was a lake, of which the boundary on one side was a vertical cliff of glacier-ice, a great mass of which broke away as we were returning, and went down with a bang and a splash into the smooth lake beneath.

On the 23rd I followed up the third glacier, which is of much greater thickness than the others, and carries an enormous load of rocky débris; there is a fourth large glacier connected with the sources of the Hushè River which I tried to explore, but the sides were so steep that we could not get upon it at all.

The survey work being finished, I descended the Hushè River to its confluence with the Nubra. The Hushè is joined below, on the left bank, by the Saltoro, a large river which evidently comes down from some distance, but which I did not explore on our way down. From Kapaloo to the junction of the Indus with the Nubra is 24 miles. The following morning we crossed the Indus to the left bank, and another march of 24 miles brought us into Skardo.

In measuring off my work I found that in 23 days I had surveyed 1250 square miles of a very mountainous country. The survey of the Hushè valley was completed; it is a district which presents a very varied character of scenery, from villages surrounded with stately trees and luxuriant vegetation, up to regions of desolation, of lofty snow-clad peaks, and vast glaciers.

I made a short rest at Skardo. As it at first presents itself, with its great overhanging rock rising from out the broad level valley of the Indus, it is picturesque and striking; but the place itself is small and uninteresting.

My next start was from Gol into the hills, to the south of Skardo; in the course of this part of the survey I had two good mountain-climbs—one up a peak of the name of Gommathaumigo, with an elevation of 17,500 ft.; from its summit, if the weather be clear, there is a magnificent view of the Karakorām mountains, or rather of that portion known as the Mustakh; but presenting at this distance only great masses of everlasting snow, from off which rise several fine peaks to the west, and deep in the distance below lies the Skardo valley, and its junction with the Shigar.

I returned to Skardo, where I crossed the Indus in a boat; this being the highest part of its course at which a boat is to be met with. We went on at once to Kuardo, the peak above which we endea-