KASHMIR VALLEYS 129 



and many friends and relations came to the boat in the 

 course of the evening to enjoy a smoke and hear what 

 had befallen during the journey up to Sonamerg. Where 

 news passes so quickly from one to another as in this 

 paradise of gossips, it was impossible not to have the 

 return noised abroad, and next morning merchants and 

 Sahib log seemed equally aware that my boat had once 

 more taken its place among them. 



