Presently we came to Gangyul (13,600 feet), a little village in a narrow, flat valley close under the eastern glaciers of Cho-mo-Lha-ri. While our camp was being got ready, I rode two or three miles up the valley in the hope of seeing a remarkable cave which we were given to understand was in the locality. We soon discovered, however, that our guide was much more anxious to show us a large flat rock of slate situated between two branches of the Tsango-chu, at the head of which was a wooden axle forming at rack.

DEVOURED BY LAMMERGEIERS

It was carefully explained to us that this was a holy spot on which human corpses, the head and shoulders tied to the axle to keep the body in place, were exposed, to be eaten by lammergeiers and other ravenous birds and beasts of prey. In perfectly solemn and earnest good

faith we were told that the birds were fastidious and would not touch low-caste bodies, and that only three families in the valley were entitled to be thus disposed of.

The Thimbu excused himself from accompanying me, as the memories connected with this spot were very painful to him, his daughter only a few years before having been laid on the slab.

One of our guides lay down on the slab, while another lit a smoky fire, devices which, they said, would be sure to attract the lammergeiers from their eyries; but the deception failed and no birds appeared. In another respect the little valley was very remarkable, as the glaciers seemed to completely close in the head, and I saw two avalanches and heard several more, caused by the increasing power of the sun's rays on the

snow.