146 THE JOURNEY TO LADAKH 



on the time of year : early in the season or late in 

 the season are the only periods that he should choose. 

 That means June to July, or September to October. The 

 reason is that thousands and thousands of sheep, with 

 their shepherds and watch-dogs, work their way gradually 

 up the slopes of the valleys leading from the lower ranges 

 of Mandi, Kangra, and Chamba to the highest spurs of the 

 Himalayan buttress, and cross it. As these innumerable 

 flocks graze upwards, the game recedes before them, and is 

 driven and scattered gradually into such inaccessible 

 ground that following them up there is not worth the 

 trouble. The sheep reach their farthest points in July 

 and August, and then begin their return journey. This is 

 the course that is followed year after year. The sportsman 

 must take note of it, and so arrange the trip as to keep in 

 front of the flocks in the beginning of the season, or reach 

 the grounds towards the end, after they have left. One of 

 the farthest points reached by these nomads is the knot 

 of mountains in Lahoul. 



The road to Kulang, the first march from Ivailang, is a 

 gradual ascent, but near the former village descends to 

 the river level, where the Bhaga is yet a considerable 

 stream. The hills on either side are barren and rocky, 

 capped with snow here and there, with a little vegetation 

 fringing their feet, which are washed by the river. A 

 couple of small glaciers are in sight above the village of 

 Tinnii on the left bank. Cypress-trees are frequent on 

 the slopes, and willows in the cultivated parts : the latter 

 are planted, and are, I suppose, private property ; it is a 

 valuable timber-tree in this treeless country, and is used 

 in a variety of ways for domestic purposes. The valley 

 narrows gradually, and the view is greatly contracted by 

 dark and frowning mountains on every side : this stage is 

 uninteresting. Travellers generally make a double march 



