Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/241

Rh carry to aid their steps along the steep mountain-sides. After passing these slopes the river-bed widens out to about 1 mile, the Biaho flowing along in numerous channels, large and thick deposits of clay and angular rocks lying upon the mountain-sides, with a high face of cliff cut clean through wherever a ravine above occurred. At the foot of these cliffs were narrow belts of thorny scrub, with coarse grass, full of hares; these, scared by the large party that suddenly broke in upon their solitudes, every now and then scampered away in full flight up the hill-sides.

The weather was still overcast, but through a break in the clouds I once fancied that I recognised the form of Peak K 2. At 2 we came in view of the Biaho “Ganse,” or Glacier, with a breadth of 1 mile at its terminal cliff, and which, from its height and vast slope of débris, showed that its thickness was far greater than the Punmah Glacier.

We reached the foot of the glacier at 4, and camp was pitched about 600 yards distant. The Biaho comes roaring from an immense cavern in the ice-cliff immediately opposite, and the noise of the rolling boulders as they came in contact was heard incessantly from under the water. From the spot we occupied, only about 2 miles of the surface of the glacier was visible, very steep and rugged, and I could see only one spot where it looked at all feasible to make the ascent of the terminal débris. Above the line of ice there shot up sharp needles of granite rock, the ends of the projecting spurs from the range which separates this valley from that of the Punmah.

Within the last 4 or 5 years the main river has moved its place of exit from the left to the right bank. With this change the gold-washings, formerly existing here, are no longer profitable. From the fact that gold has been collected here it is clear that the Masherbrum range, which separates the waters of the Nubra and the Braldoh, is the auriferous source, and is that which sends down its ravines those golden sands, which, more particularly in the Kapaloo district, give employment and subsistence to so many men during the winter months.

On the 17th we again left terra firma for the region of ice, amidst which we were to remain for some days. No one had been this way since the days when the track to the pass into Yarkund lay in this direction, which was about the time that Ahmed Shah became Rajah of Skardo, a man of whose civility and assistance Mr. Vigne, in his Travels, makes grateful mention. The memory of this native ruler is still cherished by all the people of this part of the world, who sigh and wish in vain that the Balti Rajahs of Skardo might once more reign over them.

We got over the terminal slope of the moraine after about an hour’s heavy work, and reached the summit of the slope. We now