108 AFOOT THROUGH THE 



coloured walnut woods, the shutters of finely-carved 

 work, and surmounted by a strange earthenware orna- 

 ment with tassels and bells at the corner, the roof 

 crowned with a field of white iris (a near relative of the 

 S. florentina), and the whole sheltered with bushes of 

 flaming pomegranate. 



It was a weary, flat walk amid irrigated 

 fields and rough pastures, broken sometimes by 

 the vineyards that the State has done so much to foster. 

 In olden times Kashmir had been famous for its grapes, 

 but through laziness, or the exorbitant exactions of 

 officials, they had fallen out of cultivation, and only the 

 wild plant was seen clambering over fences or throwing 

 graceful arms round the tall poplars. Then the late 

 Maharajah, the good Ranbir Singh, wishing to assist his 

 people by every means in his power, introduced vines 

 from France, and for a time they did fairly well; but 

 the dreaded phylloxera made its appearance, and new 

 vines from America had to be introduced. At present 

 the State vineyards are under the charge of some Italian 

 gentlemen, and very well they fulfil their charge, and 

 yearly large quantities of Barsac and Medoc, as well 

 as apple brandy, are produced, and though the flavour 

 is still a little rough, they are good strengthening; 



CJ v <_J O O 



wines, and at the rate of about one rupee for a quart 

 bottle will create a large demand. Transport is the 

 chief difficulty, for under present conditions of road 

 traffic it does not pay to send them out of the valley 

 scarcely even any distance from Srinagar. That hot 

 morning in early May I regretted hugely that there 

 were only leaves on the vines, and so exhausting was 

 the steamy air from the swampy irrigated rice fields 

 that I felt like an imperfectly washed and unstarched 



