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ADVENTURES IN NORTHERN TIBET. 237
number of deep dry ravines. However, we had sufficient
water with us to last four days, and that night we encamped
in a perfectly sterile locality not far from the pass. Early
the next morning some of the men went towards the top
of the pass and made a zigzag path up the steepest part
of the slope. After that the camels were led up one by
one, the men pushing behind and steadying the loads.
Two or three of the animals fell and had to be unloaded
and led without their loads, which were carried up by the
men on foot. Down on the other side we made our descent
by a zigzag equally steep. Tokta Akhun declared that
there was only one difficult place, and it turned out to be
a spot so narrow that a man on foot was scarcely able to
squeeze himself through. However, we managed to get
the camels past in safety.
A little bit farther on our string of animals came to a
stop, and the men hurried to the front. The ravine was
again so narrow that the camels’ loads scraped against both
sides. There was no possibility of scrambling on further
by climbing up the sides or by turning round ; we could do
nothing but push forward, and this we did after widening
the passage by chopping the earth away with axes. Mean-
while I went on ahead, until I came to a place that was still
worse. The ravine had contracted to a mere strip of a
torrent, which had eaten its way in under the soft wall on
the left, making a dangerous overhanging rodf, cracked
and crumbling in places. In fact, an avalanche had taken
place just there quite recently and the passage was blocked
by gigantic lumps of debris. Some of them we were able
by united effort to roll in under the overhanging eave,
while those that were too big for us we chopped to pieces
with spades and axes. Then after widening the passage-
way, the horses went on first and made a path for the
camels, which were led forward one by one with the utmost
caution. If a fresh fall of earth took place the caravan
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