62 Asiatic Society. 



feet long. Their dress consists of a garment of blanket, trowsers 

 of striped woollen stuff resembling tartan, and stockings or boots 

 of red blanket, to which are sewed leather shoes. Most of them 

 wear neck-laces, upon which are strung pieces of quartz or bone. 

 They have also knives in brass or silver cases, and all carry iron 

 pipes of the same shape as those used by the labourers at home. 

 The women, whose dress resembles that of the men, literally groan 

 under a load of ornaments, which are mostly of iron or brass, 

 inlaid with silver or tin, and beads round their necks, wrists and 

 ancles, and affixed to almost every part of their clothes. While 

 at Shipk6 the Chinese officers, of whom there are several to re- 

 gulate the affairs of the country, brought to Lieut. Gerard and 

 his brother 16 seers of flour, as a present. A short time after- 

 wards the principal officer showed them a long piece of parch- 

 ment, written in a character supposed to be Chinese, and said that 

 it was an express order from the Garpan of Garoo, under whose 

 authority the debas are, prohibiting strangers from entering the 

 country. He at the same time observed, that Lieut. Gerard had 

 so many people with him (nearly 100) that he could not oppose 

 his progress, but it would cost him his head if he afforded him 

 the means of going on, and therefore he would not suj)ply him 

 with provisions. 



The latitude of Shipkfe is 31" 48', the long. 78° -48'. The 

 people are affable and good-natured. Lieut. Gerard exchanged 

 a gold button for a goat, which he took with him to Soobat'hoo. 

 The wool was extremely fine, and almost equal to what is used 

 for the manufacture of shawls. He was informed that the best 

 was procured further to the eastward near Garoo, or Gartop, 

 which is the famous mart for wool, but its fineness seems to de- 

 pend almost; entirely on the elevation and coldness of the climate. 

 At Soobat'hoo, 420O feet above the sea, the wool is little better 

 than in the plains of Hindoostan; but it gradually grows finer as 

 you ascend ; and in Koonawur, where the villages are more than 

 SOOO feet high, it is fit for making coarse shawls. Gartop is said 

 to be eleven marches from Shipke. 



The traders who cross Guntung-pass put on so many clothes to 

 defend themselves from the excessive cold, that they can scarcely 

 walk. They wear a long garment with sleeves made of sheep skin 

 with the woolly side inwards, trowsers and stockingsof the same 

 material, a kind of rude gloves of very thick woollen stuffs, and 

 caps and shoes of blanket. They likewise occasionally wrap three 

 or four blankets round them, and thus accoutred set out on their 

 perilous journey. No herbage is to be met with for two days. 

 Leh or Leo is the capital of Laduk, and about midway between 

 Cashmeer and Garoo. 



The \Vangtoo J'hoola, a rope bridge over the Sutluj, consists 



of 



