Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/245

Rh Mahomed were building up a cairn, I took a sketch of the glorious view. K 2 is a conical mass, with sides too steep to allow the snow to rest on them long; it lies, therefore, only in large patches and stripes on the fissured surface. The sketch done, and having put the highest stone on the pile, we descended to the glacier below.

Next day’s camp was pitched in the deep hollow of an old lake, its high banks of débris giving extra shelter, and keeping away the cold from the ice beyond. The spot though snug, was perhaps by no means safe. I have seen such glacier-lakes full to overflowing in the evening, with the ice forming over the surface, from which on the following morning the water had disappeared, having left no record but the sheets of ice jumbled and piled about like huge panes of plate-glass. I believe that they fill thus rapidly and suddenly by the rush of waters along the numerous drains and channels which traverse the interiors of these glaciers. In the side cliffs of ice small holes were to be seen, out of which the water came pouring as out of spouts.

To those who may wish to visit this region, I would suggest that it can only be accomplished by some man of influence accompanying the party. On several occasions I saw very plainly that had it not been for Mahomed, we should have come to a dead stop: even he had great difficulty in persuading the men to proceed; but for him they would have bolted, especially at the Mustakh.

The following morning we walked as fast as we could, over the débris, and by 11·30 reached the débouchement of the Biaho River. This glacier, measured along a central line, from its termination up to Peak K 6 is 35 miles in length, but this by no means represents the length of the journey up, which was some 55 miles. The thickness of this mass of ice is about 400 feet or more, estimating it from the terminal position. In the bed of its river was an enormous transported block, standing out like a small island, whose mass defied the powers of the torrential waters, and which showed the position from which the glacier had receded. The day was beautifully clear, and from a spot some 3 miles down Peak K 2 was well seen. Towards evening we reached the first bit of jungle, where I pitched the tents.

Next day we reached a spot called Korophon; and on the morning of the 23rd I decided in following up the right bank of the Biafo as far as we could, and if possible reach some spot whence a good view could be obtained, directly along a portion of its length. This I managed to do from a low knob, some 5 miles up: the glacier was then to be seen stretching right away, up a broad valley between the mountains, at a slope of about 4° and less beyond: right away in the distance, the tops of two lofty snowy peaks could be made out. Having followed the glacier on this side till stopped by precipitous cliffs, we turned on to the ice,