in the air. In front of us, down the valley to the north,
there was at least the promise of mountains free from
snow. Even of Chumolhari itself we were weary to
death, and we passed out of sight of that magnificent
mass without any sensation except relief. The night
was without incident and a start was made on the
following. morning, down the valley, from the end of
which, forty miles away, we were to see the goal of our
march— Gyantse.
The descent of the valley of the Nyang chu is
picturesque and of growing interest. At the upper
end the river winds between sedgy swamps, over
which we found it difficult to take the animals. Lower
down ruined village after village betrayed the hopelessness
of agriculture among these barren heights. The
first still inhabited houses are found at a place called
Samonda, where Turner stayed a night in 1783 ; and
it is difficult to imagine any place in the world which
must have remained so absolutely unchanged from
that time to this. Samonda is within a few hundred
yards of Pikya Monastery; and here for the first time
we saw a very characteristic and common thing. On
the side of the hill over the entrance to the gompa there
is inlaid in large fragments of quartzite a Tibetan text.
This one is wholly illegible, but it probably indicates
some pious expression of the over-lordship of the
Precious Teacher of Tashi-lhunpo. The place itself
is the haunt of dogs and ravens; it is inhabited, but
that is about all that can be said for it. When we
passed it the rooms and courts were deserted, and
locks on every door betrayed the timidity of the late
occupants. So far as the eye could reach, the prospect
was bare. A cold grey scrub was shaking in the bitter