The Western news., 1907-11-13

"ltIi' SOiliuueS VI everlasting SHOW
Marching along the slopes of one Of
its exquisite valleys at a height of
$500 feet above sea level we came to
one point where we were able to look
over a precipice that sank straight
down for 1900 feet to the bed of the
Teesta River itself, here no more than
1,500 feet above the sea.
"On the opposite side Of the valley
was a deep rift in the tree-clad hills,
and looking up this gorge the eye sur
mounted ridge after ridge In quick
succession, until it finally rested on the
top Of Kinchinjunga, 2S,150 feet. the
third highest mountain In the world.
No more than thirty miles separated
the Teesta from the top of Its lordly
neighbor. and in the clear air it was
almost impossible to believe the dis
tance was so great"
The panorama spread before the
traveller at this point did not fail to
make a conquest Of Mr.. Fraser "It
looked" he said, "as If the very foot
Of Kinchinjunga was set In tiny
thread Of silver that cleaned far be-
low us, and that his mighty fanks rose
sheer until they ended in the twin
white peaks. 2G,65O feet above. The
dark hillside and rushing waterfall, Of
serrated ridges and gloomy gorges, of
blue glacier and lofty snow fields af-
forded by this scene is surely one Of
the wonders Of the world"
Peak Five Miles High.
Heights Of mountains In the Hima-
laya region, where they are the great
est in the world, are difficult to COM
prehend by those who have never been
so fortunate as to climb, or attempt to
climb, these immense elevations But
fair idea Of the height Of Kinchin-
junga may be had by the simple state
ment that, could the mountain be laid
on its side, and Its base placed at Del
aware avenue, It's summit would be
found to be at Goth street. or within
few hundred feet of five miles.
The traveller found another marvel
Gus country In the regions stretching
north from Simla, where official India
spends the summers, 1000 miles west
of Sikkim. From the summer capital
of India" he says, "the foothills of the
great backbone Of mountain lie tum-
bled In inextricable confusion and
scored at intervals by the sources of
the famous rivers that give Its name
to the Punjab. The first encountered
l. h., lot tcir J~ h.
mountains Of Tibet and racing through
dark gorges until 1t debouches In the
plains 300 miles below the point where
we crossed Over the Jaolewri Pass,
10000 feet. we cross into the lovely
valley Of Kulu, which lies about 1000
feet above the sea. Then over the Ro-
tang Pass, 1880 feet, into Lahoul. a
country bare and desolate beyond be-
lief, and at no point lower than 1O,-
600 feet. Crossing the Shingo Pass.
Of all Himalayan countries, Zanskar,
where we cross four passes Of over
10000 feet above sea level before de-
scending into the valley of the Indus
and reaching the ancient and curious
town of Leh, 11,5OO feet"
Travel Through CIoudIand.
Here 1t seems that the voyagers have
hardly made beginning, for imnledi-
ately north Of Leh lies the Khardung
Pass, 1880 feet, quickly followed by
drop to 10000 feet. and then another
rise to the Saser Pass, $4,000 feet.
Between these two" says Mr.. Fra
ser. 1--WE engage n large caravan Of
ponies to carry the baggage. for in
| fourteen days travel there will be no
| habitatiors, no food for man or beast,
nor even fuel by the way. Everything
must be carried except water of which,
alas, there is too much in this sum
mer season, when the hot sun daily at
| tacks the eternal SHOWS that flank the
route. From the top of the Saser we
drop into the valley of the Shyok Riv-
er, Is, 100 feet, where great glaciers
poke their snouts across the valleys
and choke up the passes Through a
long, deep gorge we slowly and labor
iously climb to the Depsang plain, a
great stretch Of smooth gravel beds, IT.
600 feet above the sea, and over which
we take day to travel.
Beyond Depsang we rise to the
lofty Karakorum Pass. 1850 feet, and
In three days later cross the Suget
Pass, 1900 feet. after which we droI
down to 1900 feet, and once more en-
counter human beings and some vege
tation."
| From Camels to Yaks.
Arrived at Kurgah, the travellers
were on Chinese territory, and the
ponies were exchanged for camels, FOL