276 THE UPPER BASPA 



drove their sheep through that valley and went over the 

 Sholarang Pass into Tibet, intending to trade direct with 

 the Bhots, and thus save the " middleman's profits." It 

 seems that the trade mediation of the Baspas between 

 their neighbours is more than a mere practice ; it is a 

 recognised custom among these various peoples not to 

 trade direct, but to barter with the Baspa men, who pass 

 on the goods, making, of course, their own profit out of the 

 transaction. This unwritten law is strictly observed — by 

 none more so than by the inhabitants of this valley, to 

 whom a general infringement of it would be ruin. The 

 Tibetans, who are bound down very strictly by the laws 

 of their country in the matter of crossing frontiers, or of 

 allowing foreigners to do so, had never travelled into 

 Garhwal ; but the hardy and enterprising inhabitant of the 

 latter country is not sufficiently self-controlled to respect 

 the mutual law, and he breaks through it now and then, 

 as in this case. As soon as the Kiinchiirung people 

 discovered that the Garh walls had stolen a marcli on them, 

 they sent information to one Earn Bahadur, the Basahir 

 official, who looks after this portion of His Highness's 

 territories. This gentleman communicated with the 

 Tibetan authorities, and, when the enterprising Garhwalis 

 arrived in that country, they were at once seized, their 

 sheep and property confiscated, and they themselves sent 

 about their business without even a day's food — so they 

 said. They came back by the Giigerang Pass, and met a 

 party of Jadhs. They fell on these people at once, took 

 possession of their sheep and food, and made prisoners of 

 the owners. This occurred four days before I saw them. 

 The Garhwalis took them across the Baspa, high up the 

 mountain side, then came down by the Ni'lang road, and 

 were travelling along the opposite side of the valley on 

 their way to Garhwal when I saw them. This was 



