File:Ruins of desert Cathay - personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China (1912) (14596621437).jpg

Identifier: ruinsofdesertcat01stei (find matches)
Title: Ruins of desert Cathay : personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Stein, Aurel, Sir, 1862-1943 Archaeological Survey of India
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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mwant of sufficient labour, cultivation of individual fieldswas said to take place only in turns of four or five years. We had passed the highest of these fields at Plish-linga at an elevation of about 10,000 feet and were justemerging from a barren rocky defile above the side valleyof Tor, when suddenly there opened out before us a vistaof Alpine scenery such as I had never expected to meet inthis barren region (Fig. 57). From an amphitheatre ofhigh snowy peaks southwards there stretched down a broadvalley basin with green meadows at its bottom and apicturesque succession of high grassy ridges in its centre.As the route ascended these ridges, I soon recognizedthat they were formed by ancient moraines of huge sizewhich had been left behind by glaciers of earlier periods,far exceeding those still to be found in the valley. Yeteven the present glaciers were extensive enough to give toits uppermost part abundant moisture and verdure. The view of these ice-streams in the panorama obtained
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cH.xv CAMP AT KASHKUL 183 In 1900 from our survey station above the Brinjak Passhad been impressive in spite of the distance, and thesuccessful triangulation subsequently carried out had shownthat among the many imposing peaks rising above themthere was at least one exceeding the height of 23,000 feet.For us down in the valley this high peak was now hiddenfrom view by a satellite of about 20,000 feet rising just infront. But even without the photographic panorama inmy hands it would have been easy to locate its position bythe exceptional length of the glaciers which we soon founddescending from that direction to the head of the valley. It was delightful to ride over the grassy slopes with whicha thick mantle of loess, showing in places rounded down-like forms, had covered up these ancient moraines. Afterall the barrenness of sand and crumbling rock I had passedthrough for months, I felt myself carried back now almostto the Alpine plateaus of my beloved Kashmir Margs.The glaciers desce

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