KASHMIR VALLEYS 23 



telegraphic and telephonic communications are kept up 

 with that distant outpost of the British " raj," and stores 

 established for fruits and dried vegetables. Above 

 towered many giant heights, great Haramuk 

 seventeen thousand feet high, overshadowing the nearer 

 range of Gwash Brari. Its massive triple peak is 

 crowned by an emerald, so says tradition, powerful 

 enough to render all snake bites innocuous. Snow falls 

 for all the year, save for one week, on its rough sides, 

 and in the hottest weather its glistening rocks afford a 

 pleasantly cool vision. 



My household was all out purchasing largely when 

 I was ready to go ashore, food- stuffs being very low in 

 price as compared to the more extravagant capital. 

 " Fine chickens, five for one rupee," announced one of 

 my retainers on his return from the bazaar. " Eggs of 

 the finest, two annas a dozen ; milk, twenty-four seers 

 a rupee! " I quailed, for I foresaw the preparation of 

 an orgy, the eating of which would result in my instant 

 destruction, and the leaving of which would cause the 

 face of my large-ideaed chef to be blackened. 



Trusting for some means of escape when the hour 

 had approached, and with a brief command not to 

 create any delicacy that could not be made to get com- 

 fortably on my small dish, I tried to improve my 

 acquaintance with the female portion of my crew. My 

 task was not easy, for Mrs. Assiza suffered from 

 shyness and a complete ignorance of all languages save 

 Kashmirian ; but I was able, as I tried to make myself 

 understood, to admire her clear, rose-tinted, olive skin, 

 the straight nose and brows, and the fine, brown eyes, 

 set off by the tiny red cap worn under the homespun 

 head-covering folded squarely on the head. The 



