interesting nature. The mean altitude of Siberia is
little above sea-level, and of the plateau of Chinese
Turkistan 2000 ft., while rising sheer above the
plain to the south is the massive range of the Kuen
Lun mountains with an average height of 20,000
ft. Nor is this imposing wall without support, for
the plateau behind it, i.e., to the south, is 17,000 ft.
in height, extending with a gradually diminishing elevation,
which is never less than 13,000 ft., up to the
Himalayas themselves, whose line of water-parting
is 18,000 ft., and whose snow-peaks stand out 10,000
ft. clear above the summits of the lower hills, which
act as a buffer between them and the Gangetic plain
which is but little above the level of the sea.
Rudok lies near the most elevated portion of this
magnificent table-land, resting on Ladakh and the
Karakoram range on the west, a giant chain commanded
by Mount Godwin Austin, 28,250 ft., second alone in
height to Mount Everest throughout the whole world,
and touching on the north the bleak and dreary desert of
Chang with the Kuen Luns in the background. Passes
there are in the mighty Kuen Luns, but ever covered with
snow, and impracticable to the trader as they lead from
Chinese Turkistan into a country that is bleak and inhospitable
beyond words, where immense herds of wild yaks,
wild asses and antelopes roam, finding but slender
sustenance ; where, too, there is great scarcity of good
water, for although the slope of the land is such that
rivers can find no outlet and lakes are innumerable,
yet the water is generally too salt to drink. Soda,
salt and saltpetre are found everywhere, trees do not
exist, and population there is none. A few hardy
miners toil to wrest from the inclement soil its precious
treasure oj gold, which abounds on all sides,
but the country invites none to visit it. Traders
from Kashgar and the north prefer to face the Karakoram
Pass, 18,550 ft. high, which yearly levies a
heavy toll on the lives of beasts of burden, than the
difficult passes of the Kuen Luns, which are almost
impracticable. Central Asian caravans, after visiting
Leh, pass near the Mo Gnalari Lake, on whose northern
and southern banks are respectively the towns of
Noh and Rudok, and thence continue their way to
Lhasa through the goldfields north of Thok Jalung,
which spot (16,200 ft.) is the highest inhabited all
the year round in the world; or south through
Gartok along the most frequented trade route in Tibet,
which also leads to the Tibetan capital, past Kailas
and the Mansarowar Lake. The distance from Gartok
to Rudok is only a matter of some eight to ten days:
there is a large population there, barley is cultivated
and there is an abundance of salt, while the surrounding
country is famous for its horses, which always
acquit themselves well at the annual horse-races at
Gartok, and invariably fetch a high price in the market.
The headquarters of Government are always at
Rudok. Again the wisdom of throwing open Gartok
by the Lhasa Treaty becomes apparent, for although
Indian traders may not for some time visit Rudok
itself, yet the mere fact that all the Jongpens and
other officials assemble annually at Gartok for
the fair ensures that the influence of the Indian-
Government will be felt as far north as this remote
place. The road from Gartok to Leh, a distance
of 200 miles, passes through the district of the Rudok
Jongpen, going via, Tashigong and Demchok on the
Indus river, and does not present any very great
difficulties. The Tibetans do a considerable trade
with the inhabitants of Leh, with whom they are
on excellent terms, The exports to Cashmere from