range on the left. The range on this side was principally
clay-slate, with occasional outbreaks of trap, which
had in many places converted the stratified rock into a
hard red or green jasper. From the immediate proximity
of the igneous rock the stratified masses were very
much contorted, and no regular dip was observable.
Saline efflorescence occurred everywhere in great quantity
in the vicinity of the stream; as a consequence, Che-
nopodiaceous plants were more than usually abundant,
and I collected at least three species of that family which
I had not previously observed. The banks of the stream
were everywhere bordered by a belt of green herbage,
more or less broad, in which the usual species of ¿Ranunculus,
Gentiana, Pedicularis, Juncus, Cyperacece, and
grasses were common. Glaux maritima also occurred
abundantly. Two other European plants were found
in the swamps along the course of the river, which were
very interesting as a proof of the extremely European
nature of the flora: these were Hippuris vulgaris and
hmosella lacustris. Towards the end of the day’s
journey, Caragana versicolor {¿Dama) became very common,
covering a large extent of surface, and growing to
a much greater size than I had ever before seen, with an
upright stem nearly six feet in height. I could scarcely
persuade myself that the species was the same as the
little depressed shrubs which grew on the passes further
south. Two species of Myricaria, both of which I had
seen in Piti, also reappeared during the day, so that we
were evidently approaching a lower level and more genial
climate.
Banks of alluvial conglomerate occurred on the sides
of the valley, in the spaces between the projecting spurs
of the range on the left hand, on the latter part of the
day. The beds were distinctly stratified and very sandy,
more or less full of rounded stones, and often passing into
pure sand, which was interstratified with the coarser beds.
The day was very cloudy and threatening, and a few drops
of rain fell for the first time since the 29 th of August,
the weather during the whole of that interval having been
brilliant and quite dry. We encamped eleven miles from
Hanle, on a gravelly plain close to the river.
During the night the weather did not improve, but
continued very cloudy, and on the morning of the 18th
the mountains on the right side of the valley were covered
with snow, down to within 1500 feet of the plain.
The wind blew strongly from the northward, and the
day, which was still very cloudy, was bitterly cold, and,
to our feelings, extremely uncomfortable. We continued
to follow the course of the Hanle river, passing over long
gravel flats, which alternated with turfy saline meadows.
Several low spurs from the mountains on the left, which
projected far into the plain, making the river bend much
to the right, were crossed as we proceeded. About ten
miles from our morning’s camp, we left the course of
the river, which turned to the right and entered a rocky
mountain gorge, while our road kept its northerly direction.
An open valley led us to the crest of a low ridge
of trap and slate, from which a very long stony monotonous
valley descended to an extensive plain covered
with fine mud and saline exudation, on which the only
vegetation was a few tufts of Suceda and coarse grass.
Crossing this plain, on which the dry clay was in many