A DAK TO KASHMIR. 15 



Monday, October 10th. — We left Lahore by the 3.30 p.m. 

 express for Rawal Pindi, dined and slept in the train, and 

 were awakened at four a.m. o'clock by the ayah, who 

 said we had nearly arrived. It was hardly light and very 

 raw and chilly. A friend of Mr. Rustomjee's was waiting 

 for us with a tonga and two ekkas. 



The former is a two-wheeled canvas-hooded trap, some- 

 thing like a small Cape cart. It is drawn by two horses, one 

 in a pair of shafts, and the other running half loose beside 

 him. It is to be our conveyance to Kashmir, relays of horses 

 (called in India " dak,") being posted along the road. An 

 " ekka" looks like a small garden tent on two wheels, pulled 

 by a pony between shafts supported by a bar over his back. 

 It is the common pony carriage used by the natives all over 

 India, and, though springless, is of very light draught and 

 carries an extraordinarily heavy load. They are cpiite the 

 funniest looking things I ever saw, the shafts rise at least 

 a foot over the pony's back, and are about four feet apart. 

 They run right through the cart, and come out joined 

 together in a point behind. It looked as if one wretched 

 little piebald pony must be hoisted bodily up in the air. 

 but the ayah assured me "they are so safe, even if the 

 horse on his hind legs go, it cannot tumble." 



We drove straight to the hotel and had breakfast. The 

 ekka men promptly seized the opportunity to go to theirs. 

 and did not turn up again till nearly nine o'clock. We 



