THE KULU VALLEY 135 



were the only animals I took. My traps, iucluding stores, 

 gun-cases, etc., were easily taken by the mules ; I should 

 say that there were about fifteen coolie-loads — the calcula- 

 tion was made for a six months' trip. I need not go into 

 further detail : the excellent advice given in The Sportsman's 

 Vadc Mecum for the Himalayas cannot be improved upon. 

 That compact book should be in the baggage of every 

 Himalayan traveller, whether sportsman or not. 



I reached Sultanpur on the 28 th May. The Kiilu 

 valley is well known to tourists, as during the season it 

 is constantly visited by parties from Simla, though the 

 inconveniences placed in the way of travellers, not only in 

 this portion of the Kangra district, but every other part, 

 are enough to choke off any less enterprising individual 

 than the travelling Englishman. Three marches (thirty- 

 two miles) from Sultanpiir, along a good road very much 

 frequented by tourists, brought me to Ealah, a small rest- 

 house at the foot of the Eotang Pass. Between these two 

 places, one passes the estates of several gentlemen, who 

 have settled permanently in this most pleasant valley. 

 For many years they have been engaged in tea-planting ; 

 but Kulu is so much out of the way, and so distant from 

 the markets, that the occupation has not been profitable. 

 Though the tea produced is of the most delicious flavour, 

 its yield is not abundant, owing to the altitude of the 

 valley and the severe winters. During the last few years 

 a new departure has been made in the growing of fruit, 

 which gives a much better return than tea, though this 

 occupation also has its drawbacks, the markets being too 

 far distant for such a perishable commodity ; and flying- 

 foxes, which commit great devastation during the nights, 

 cannot be kept off the trees when the fruit is ripening. 

 They probably destroy more than fifty per cent, of the crop. 

 These pests come every evening in thousands, remain in 



