escaped by plunging boldly across the ice-fields of the
glaciers to the south, where none of our men were able
to follow them. But the position they had held was
cleared, and the column moved on in safety, two miles
down the valley beyond Dzara, to the night’s halting
ground.
Below the Karo la, the aspect of the valley undergoes
a marked change ; of trees there are still none,
and only the appearance of the vivid sky-blue Tibetan
poppy distinguishes the flora of this pass. This is
beyond question the most striking flower that we saw
throughout the entire journey. It was found expanding
its crinkling crif e-de-chine silk petals in the sand
among the rocks at the Karo la, and it remained with
us until we descended to the valley of the Tsang-po.
The height varies from five inches to fifteen, the leaves
and stalks are covered with sharp, stiff spines, and the
colour is the most vivid blue I have seen in a plant,
far exceeding in strength and purity the forget-me-not,
or the germander speedwell.* Aconite or, as we know
it in England, monkshood, is unfortunately common,
and the utmost care was needed to prevent the beasts
of the transport from cropping the tall pyramids of
grey-purple and grey-green flowers which spring beside
the roads and dot the damper levels of the plain. Blue
five-inch gentians grow in profusion here, and stout
patches of the little sunflower gardeners know as
Gerber a Jamesonii.
But the Alpine flora was not yet fully o u t ; the rocks
which hem in the valley of the Karo chu dominated
the scene. They deserve special mention, for the high
bastions and curtains of these thousand-feet preci-
* I sent roots home to Madresfield, but I am afraid nothing has survived.