DESCRIPTION OF THE PLACE 13 



These poor people live in a most extraordinary fashion, 

 as nearly like brutes as possible. The village consists of 

 three houses (families, I suppose), and the following is 

 the ground plan : one roof covers the whole village — the 

 entrance only is open to the sky. The walls are about 

 four feet high ; the eaves sloping down almost to the level 

 of the Q,Tound. 



The three points marked O are holes in the roof which 

 let out the smoke. The dotted lines mark a stick par- 

 tition running the length of the room, dividing it into 

 two : in the back portion the family live and keep their 

 chattels ; the front shelters the cattle, cows, sheep, goats, 

 and ponies. The entrance is a shining cesspool, into 

 which the combined dwelling and stable drains. The 

 cattle-room is ankle-deep in filth, through which one 

 must wade to get to the human dwelling-places. It is 

 hardly possible to imagine the state in which these people 

 exist during the eight months of winter, when they must 

 lie buried several yards below the surface of the snow. 



My search for the Makadam was very short indeed, and 

 he was not within after all. The Kotwal (village watchman) 

 appeared after a time from a village across the river, and 

 the dakwala pounced on him at once, tied his arms 

 behind his back, and with his alpenstock belaboured him 



