KASHMIR VALLEYS 83 



they were blurred and blotted out as if with a wall of 

 smoked glass. Inside my tent things were not so bad 

 as they might have been, for the flaps were firmly laced 

 up, a deep trench dug round to carry off the water, and, 

 curled up in all my warm wraps on my bed, I read 

 contentedly, merely wondering if the pole did give way 

 whether it would brain me, or if I should be pain- 

 lessly smothered in the sodden sides of my dwelling! 



By dawn the skies were clean swept, and when I 

 was ready for my start at half-past six the sun was 

 shining on a rain-drenched world, clear of every dust 

 mark, decked by nature with her brightest hues, 

 stainless and joyful. It was impossible to feel fatigue 

 on such a day; ever} 7 living thing moved with fresh 

 energy, every leaf and flower was imbued with a new 

 beauty and brilliance. The path wound about the side 

 of the cliffs, carried over the stream from time to time 

 by the most insecure of light bridges, that had to be 

 used with infinite care for fear of sudden precipitation 

 into the wild torrent below, the yawning spaces being 

 more strongly marked than the connecting planks! I 

 passed many herds of goats, some of them consisting of 

 vast numbers. Their presence was too strongly marked 

 by their sickening smell to be altogether pleasant, but 

 they were handsome animals, many extraordinarily tall, 

 with curious Roman noses, wicked yellow eyes, and 

 shaggy grey beards. Their coats seemed marvellously 

 silky, and it was not difficult to understand the beauty 

 of the dresses manufactured from them when it was 

 seen how perfect was the raw material. Some of the 

 women in charge were of a very handsome, uncommon 

 type, with tall, well-knit figures, handsome straight 

 features, fair skins, and dark eyes. These Balti women 



