Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/230

26 the country: the better sort are exported to Ladak, Astore, and Kashmir. The process of making khobanies is by half splitting the apricots and taking out the stones: several are then inserted, one inside the other, with a sweet kernel in the centre, and they are thus dried in the form of small balls. When required for use they are put to soak in water overnight, and eaten with chupatties next morning.

On the 15th of July the clouds cleared away a little, and starting early we were soon beyond the fields which lead up to the grazing-grounds above. The lower part of this ravine is most curious, it being extremely narrow, from 10 to 14 feet wide, while cliffs on either side rise to between 400 and 500 feet. The cliff to the left is of hard sandstone and conglomerate with huge blocks; the beds are nearly vertical: on the right are metamorphic slates at a high angle. On reaching the upper surface of the alluvial deposit, high pillars of clay, each capped with a large rock, are to be seen, and have a strange appearance. The oldest men of the country say that these have not altered in the least in their time; their grandfathers have told them the same. Some of the taller and more remarkable bear names. The top stone has served as an umbrella to the column of earth beneath, and in a country, where heavy rain is the exception, they may continue as they are, for there is nothing to destroy them.

At an early hour the next morning (16th) we were climbing up the rocky and extremely steep slope, in intense cold. As the ravine faced the west, it was long before the sun rose high enough to throw its rays upon us; but when at last it peered over the wall of rock above us, a burst of joy greeted it from every mouth. As we drew on towards the summit, the actual elevation, as well as the steep slope, made the ascent fatiguing; but once passed, the way along the ridge to the trigonometrical station, to my surprise, was quite level—a few snow-beds only remained.

The view from the station is magnificent, up the Shigar River and down over the whole plain of Skardo, backed by the mountains of the Deosai Plains. The snowy range was only visible here and there amongst the clouds, which were gathering up fast, and I soon saw that a descent that day was out of question. We made ourselves as comfortable as it was possible to do; the plane-table was set up, and as much as could be seen cut in at once. I got into a snug corner out of the wind, and then the day was spent in sundry rushes to the plane-table, whenever, on looking round, some peak would show out from amongst the heavy clouds which hung about. Many such days as these—days of long dreary hours—have to be passed amongst the Himalayas. Our altitude was 16,919 feet.

The frost in the course of the night was severe, and at sunrise