Litang 4s reputed to be the highest town in the world after. T believe, La Paz in Bolivia. I'am hoping that my aneroid readings, when reduced, while give Litang pride of place. It Ties above an elongated plain several kilometres broad, on the other side of which rise formerly glaciated peaks of granite, one being the con-Keal "Lama's Hat" The" essential part of Luang is the great lamasery With its some 3,700 lamas and drabas, its great halls of worship with the golden roofs, 'The town part of Litang consists of a wretched' single line of Chinese-style hovels stretching from the lamasery down along a low ridge.
would seem that the inhabitants, fo the mumber of some 1750, throw their refuse out of their back doors, since the town is almost completely surrounded by garbage dumps over Which rule fierce dogs. There was! only one suitable spot for a tent and that was just below the yamen, and fall night ong, when it was not the terrine winds that would "suddenly arise and keep. one up holding the tnt lest it be blown over, one was Kept awake by the hideous howling these dogs. as they fought over their ordure. 'The "24th Army. is endeavouring' to beauty" these piles of truly geological stratification by constructing walks and pleasunces upon them. "But one hat but the: whited sepulehre. ako a. step across them to recognize
"The most unpleasant experience, however, that we had'at Litang was to arrive back at dusk from an busting climbing expedition "fratly to find ent and town under white shroud of hailstones. We prepared supper; it was to be a magnificent Stew. But before the pressure cook ex was up to steam the wind arose like'a mad thing. Hall lashed down. 'The next moment the tent was blown, over. our heads, and the hail, un checked to any extent by the' thin atmosphere, stung like shot. Tt was by then quite dark. We endeavoured fo find shelter at a Tibetan house, Dut this was closed for. the night, and nobody would let us'in or even reply to us, probably due to fear of robbers. "Aiter some three-quarters hour the storm ceased, and it was possible to fix up part. of the tent for the night—but we had no supper.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.