:sIY TRAVELLING KIT 133 



difficulties, I fell into auother, which nearly wrecked my 

 expedition before I had been a month on the road. But 

 it answered admirably while I was within the limits of the 

 Kangra district, and I enjoyed a most independent, free, 

 and easy life. I would recommend all tourists who con- 

 template a tramp in these parts to follow my example in 

 this matter of carriage; it will relieve them of all the 

 petty troubles which would otherwise await them at each 

 stage of the journey — irritating annoyances that entirely 

 mar the pleasure of the outing. My caravan consisted of 

 six mules, two muleteers, three servants, and myself. For 

 the mules I had three pairs of leather trunks made up out 

 of blue bull-hides, from animals I had shot at various times 

 in the plains. This was an excellent arrangement; the 

 trunks were light and strong, most capacious, and withstood 

 admirably the roughest usage. Two of them were a light 

 load for a mule, and between them, on the mule's back, 

 another load of bedding, etc., could be secured. A mule 

 could be loaded up, ready for a start, in five minutes. 

 Each box was a fair load for a coolie. I had several pairs 

 of boots and shoes made after a pattern of my own from 

 other blue bull-hides. This supply lasted me and my 

 servants for the whole trip, and for some time afterwards. 

 With a liberal application of " dubbin " now and then, they 

 were thoroughly waterproof, and, with screws in the soles, 

 gave firm footing on the hill slopes : the cost of making up 

 was trifling. I also used my black buckskins to make up 

 a dozen bags — one bag out of each skin — in the shape of 

 the usual canvas clothes bag, but narrower. Some were 

 used for carrying the servants' things ; and when supplies 

 had to be carried for several days, they answered admirably 

 for carrying flour, rice, sugar, etc. Three other skins I 

 had made into rucksacks, after the Swiss pattern ; these 

 were most useful when away from camp after game. They 



