KASHMIR VALLEYS 97 



and gazed at the sky, so I knew they were prophesying 

 another downfall. It was hopeless to make them under- 

 stand more, so we sat down and smiled at one another. 

 I regretted their " local " odour, but admired the " local 

 colour " of their appearance, and finally sketched them, 

 as I thought it likely the former would leave a stronger 

 impression on my memory than the latter! The path 

 continued with the same varied scenery on either side, 

 sometimes grassy meadows, sometimes forest lands, 

 always rising slightly, so that two miles before Baltal 

 I was at an elevation of over eleven thousand feet. 

 Again the early brightness had passed away, and 

 covered with a dull weight of grey mist there was an 

 unpleasantly leaden look in the clouds. The wind had 

 a whistling sound, and very regretfully I turned away 

 from the Zogi La pass, and took my way campwards. 

 In this world it is always the garden on the other side 

 of the wall that holds out such attractive prospects, 

 so with the vast wall of rock before me I felt convinced 

 that could I once reach its summit, prospects far more 

 beautiful than any I had yet seen would be opened 

 before me. I comforted myself with the assurance that 

 the dishes when tasted seldom were equal to their titles 

 on the bill of fare, and that it was only too probable 

 that the heights above Baltal reached, there would be 

 little to reward my searching gaze. In imagination I 

 could realise the giant peaks on every side. Far to the 

 west great Nanga Parbat, nigh twenty-seven thousand 

 feet, its huge head supported on two vast shoulders, 

 king of the thousand heights that lie around him 

 in wild tumbled confusion. Nearer Haramuk, ten 

 thousand feet lower, its crest covered with snow save 

 for one short week in the year, and crowned, so the 

 H 



