Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/231

Rh next morning the thermometer showed 32° 5'. Next morning, as the light in the east grew stronger, the view was one never to be forgotten. From the south-east to north-west the whole range of snowy mountains was visible, with only a few streaky purple clouds lying beneath them, which, without obscuring any of their sharp forms, added to their immense heights. K 1 (Masherbrum), and K 2, the second highest in the world, overtopped them all, and were conspicuous from their fine shapes.

Down below, the valleys were all in deep shade, and all around was deadly still, save now and then the cry of the snow-partridges, as they came up the hill-sides to bask on the ridges in the early sun. The sound of rushing water far down in the ravines below only just reached us, and the higher streams were all silent.

The sun now rose from behind the Mustakh, and then all became hidden in the intense glare. The clouds formed up wonderfully fast, and in another hour all the peaks to the north-east were obscured. West by south Nanga Purbet (26,629 feet) showed its great rounded form above the snowy ridge of the Alumpi and Bunnok La, and to one unacquainted with the ground would have been taken for a part of it, though 30 miles beyond. We then retraced our steps to the camp below.

On the 18th we left Kuardo for Shigar, skirting the foot of the hills, through the village of Strandokmo, and crossing the Shigar River to the left bank. Here rain and cloudy weather detained us twelve days.

On the 28th of July we removed to a pretty spot, consisting of some twenty houses called Skoro, which gives the name to the large ravine running up to the Pass over into Braldoh. The evening of the 29th was beautifully clear, and it was evident that a break in the weather had taken place, so the following morning our camp was struck, and I started early up the ravine. Provisions for four days were taken, and Mahomed, son of a petty wazir of Shigar, a fine young fellow, offered to come with me. The walking as far as the Nang brok was fair, after that it got very bad. We reached, the first evening, a grazing ground, called Kutzah, 12,553 feet in elevation, and found several fine Yak grazing on the hill sides above our camp.

Whilst lying in my tent, after finishing up my work, I heard an unusual rumbling sound, and on going out I found all the men were wondering what it could be. After a few more seconds of suspense, some Balti coolies, who were cutting brushwood higher up the ravine, shouted out that the stream was coming down, and in a few seconds more we saw a black mass coming out of a lateral ravine from the right, and moving rapidly over the broad slope of boulders.which [sic] formed the bed of the valley. Before the black stream reached us it divided into two, and we then saw that it con-