CHAPTER XXIII.
Donkia glaciers—Moraines—Dome of ice—Honey-combed surface—Accident
to instruments—Sebolab pass—Bees and May-flies—View—
Lamas and travellers at Momay—Weather and climate—Sensations
arising from elevation—Dr. Campbell leaves Dorjiling for Sikkim—
Leave Momay—Yeumtong—Lacboong—-Retardation of vegetation at
low elevations—Choongtam—Landslips and débâcle—Meet Dr. Campbell—
Motives for his journey—Second visit to Lachen valley—
Autumnal tints—Red currants—Lachen Phipun—Tungu—Scenery—
Animals—Poisonous rhododendrons—Fire-wood—Palung—Elevations
—Sitong—Kongra Lama—Tibetans—Enter Tibet—Desolate scenery
—Plants—Animals —Geology—Cbolamoo lakes—Antelopes—Return
to Yeumtso—Dr. Campbell lost—Extreme cold—Headaches—Tibetan
Dingpun and guard—Arms and accoutrements—Temperature of
Yeumtso—Migratory birds—Visit of Dingpun—Yeumtso lakes.
On the 20th of September I ascended to the great
Donkia glaciers, east of Momay; the valley is much
longer than that leading to the Kincliinjhow glacier,
and at 16,000 or 17,000 feet elevation contains four
marshes or lakes, alternating with as many transverse
moraines that seem to have been deposited where
rocks in the bed of the valley obstructed the downward
progress of the ancient glacier ; hence, when this latter
finally retired, it rested at these obstructions, and
accumulated there great deposits, which do not cross
the valley, hut project from each side obliquely into it.
The rocks on the floor of the valley are all polished on
the top, sides, and face looking up the valley, hut are
rugged on that looking down i t: gigantic blocks are
poised on some.
Under the red cliff of Forked Donkia the valley
becomes very broad, bare, and gravelly, with a confusion
of moraines, and turns more northwards. At
the angle, the present terminal moraine rises about
800 feet high, and from the summit a most striking
scene opened. The ice filling an immense basin,
several miles broad and long, formed a low dome, with
Forked Donkia on the west, and a serried range of
rusty-red scarped mountains, 20,000 feet high, on the
north and east, separating large tributary glaciers.
Other and loftier tops of Donkia appeared behind these,
but I could not recognise the true summit. (23,176
feet). The surface was very rugged, and so deeply
honey-combed that the foot often sank from six to eight
inches in crisp wet ice. I proceeded a mile on it, with
much more difficulty than on any Swiss glacier; t.hia
was owing to the elevation, and the corrosion of the
surface into pits and pools of water; the crevasses
being but few and distant. I attained an elevation of
18,307 feet; the weather was then very cold, the thermometer
fell to 34°, and it snowed heavily after 3 p .m .
On another occasion I ascended, to the north of this,
a second spur from Donkia, to 19,000 feet, which
abutted on the scarped precipices of that mountain; I
had been attracted to the spot by its bright orange-red
colour, which I found to be caused by peroxide of iron.
At these great heights the weather was never fine
for more than an hour at a tune, and thick snow drove