ANPARH IS UNWILLING TO START 285 



so the official at the former place would not be able to 



organise any opposition for some days at least ; and I 



should put in a week's shooting across the pass in the 



interval. They seemed most anxious that I should not 



enter any village. Both Anparh and the Panbuh said 



they should come to frightful grief if I forced my way in. 



I had no intention of doing that, but intended to go as 



far as I fairly could, and started with ten loads and fifteen 



days' provisions. Anparh was very much alarmed, 



imagining that I was going to force my way to Zarang ; 



and though I repeatedly told him I would remain on the 



other side of the pass and shoot until the Panbuh arrived, 



when I should abide by the latter's decision, I had great 



difficulty in getting him to advance beyond Mthal. 



As far as Nithal, the valley is open, wide, and level as 



below. At that point two valleys from above meet ; the 



left is the one up to the Giigerang Pass, my road. 



Immediately after leaving Mthal this valley contracts, 



becoming very rough, broken, and winding, blocked with 



fallen rocks and masses of snow ; the path is on the left 



bank of the stream, some distance up the hillside. So 



shut in is the valley, that steep hill-slopes are all that can 



be seen. Arsamang, the camping-place, is a small fiat 



with two stone enclosures, where the shepherds stop on 



their way up and down. Anparh found on the path a 



dead sheep, which he brought in to eat. Arsamang is a 



miserable place for a camp ; there is not room even for a 



small tent ; water is obtainable some distance down, but 



no fuel. On the way up I had to bully a Chitkul coolie 



with a stick, as he threatened to throw down his load and 



return. The Balti men, as usual, behaved well. 



The night was pleasanter than at Di'mti ; though this 

 camp is much higher, it is more confined, and there was 

 no wind — though it blew strong and cold till dusk, when 



