Except from the more advanced period of the season, the flora of Nubra differed but little from that of Le. Species of Artemisia, Labiatæ, and Chenopodiaceæ, were now in full flower on the more desert and stony tracts, in which a shrubby Lycium (which is not found on the Indus) was also common. Chenopodiaceæ had become extremely plentiful, and belonged to many different genera: shrubby species of Eurotia and Caroxylon were common, but the greater number were herbaceous, and belonged to the genera Chenopodium, Ambrina, Salsola, Echinopsilon, and Corispermum. A species of thistle grew on barren soil, particularly where the ground was saline; on the salt soil, Glaux, a little Crucifera, and a Polygonum were the most abundant plants. Mulgedium Tataricum, a Galium (very like G. Aparine), and a scandent species of Vincetoxicum, were frequent in hedges; and species of Mentha, Erodium, Epilobium, Lepidium, and Matthiola, all common plants at Le, being now in full flower, attracted notice more than at an earlier period. A very tall species of grass (Melica?) in large and elegant tufts, often six feet high, was one of the most ornamental plants in the valley; while as uncommon forms I may enumerate a prickly Sophora, Orobanche, Parietaria, and in ponds a little Utricularia, closely resembling a European species.
A small-leaved elm, which is common near Tagar, is apparently wild,—at least it is not acknowledged by the inhabitants as a cultivated tree. I have not observed this tree elsewhere in Tibet, but Mr. Vigne mentions that he met with an elm in the mountains between Shigar and Khapalu. It appears to be the same with a species common in the forests of the lower valleys of Kashmir.
HOT SPRINGS.
August, 1848.
About a mile from the large village of Panamik are the hot springs formerly visited by Moorcroft. They are two in number, and spring from the rocky mountain-side, about a hundred yards from the edge of the plain. The temperature of the water in the spring which I tried was 170·5°. It was faintly sulphurous both in taste and smell, but not perceptibly saline, and deposited a thick calcareous incrustation on everything within its reach.
To the south of Panamik the rocks of Nubra are chiefly black slate, but transported blocks of granite are everywhere common, and at that village the latter rock descends to the level of the river, and continues to form the whole mass of the mountains on the left side of the valley as far as I continued along it. On the right side there were indications of stratification on the steep sides of the mountains, and, from the colour, the rock there appeared to be partly granite and partly metamorphic slate.
CHAPTER XIV.
Start for Karakoram—Steep ascent out of Nubra valley—Meet a party of Merchants from Yarkand—View from summit of pass—Rapid torrent—Large glacier—Steep moraines—Alpine vegetation—Numerous glaciers—Lakes—Glacier on crest of Sassar pass—Sassar—Cross Shayuk river—Murgai—Limestone rocks—Ascend Murgai Valley to 16,800 feet—Singular limestone formation—Open plain above 17,000 feet—Re-cross Shayuk river—Karakoram pass—Return to Sassar—Glaciers of Sassar—Return to Le—Start for Kashmir—Lamayura—Phatu pass—Kanji river—Namika pass—Molbil Pashkyum—Kargil—Dras—Zoji pass—Kashmir—Lahore—Completion of journey.
Having at last completed the preparations necessary for a journey of twenty days through uninhabited regions, I started on the 9th of August from the village of Taksha. My first day's journey lay up the Nubra valley, which continued wide, though the alluvial platforms were destitute of cultivation, and quite barren. In several places (always opposite to ravines) they were covered with enormous boulders, which had all the appearance of having been brought to the position they occupied by glaciers. Two small villages were seen, both on the west bank of the river. Four miles from Taksha I crossed, by a good wooden bridge, a large stream which descended from the mountains on my right hand through an exceedingly rocky gorge. After seven miles and a half, I found that I had reached the point at which the road followed by the merchants in travelling from Le to Yarkand leaves the valley of Nubra. It was too late in the day to attempt the ascent of the ridge to the right; I therefore encamped in a grove of willows, which formed a belt along the margin of a stream whose bed was now quite dry, its scanty supply of water having been diverted into an artificial channel for the irrigation of a couple of fields of indifferent barley not far off.
SKETCH MAP of Route from NUBRA TO KARAKORAM. by Dr. T. Thomson.