KASHMIR VALLEYS 131 



It is one thousand feet above the city, and I believe 

 really energetic folk run up and down every day before 

 breakfast to keep themselves in condition. At intervals 

 I tried three different paths up, started each time with 

 spring and celerity, vowed halfway up, when short of 

 breath and none too cool, that no hill in the world is 

 worth close examination, and after five minutes on the 

 summit was ready to swear that the scene that lay 

 spread before me was worthy of a daily pilgrimage. 



On the occasion of my first ascent I climbed the 

 western face, starting through a burial-ground crowned 

 with the latest white iris. Many pilgrims were passing 

 up and down, for it was Monday. The women, being 

 chiefly Hindus of the city, were often becomingly 

 gowned in orange and scarlet draperies, with only the 

 filmiest of white veils to represent the " sarhi." The 

 hill is of great sanctity, partly resulting from the anti- 

 quity of the temple that crowns it, partly owing to 

 its associations, for tradition says that at different 

 periods it has been a place of pilgrimage to Buddhists 

 who still speak of it with much reverence and Hindus ; 

 and that during the reign of the great iconoclast 

 Sikander it was in the hands of the Mahomedans. Now, 

 with the tolerance that comes of persecutions equally 

 suffered, all three visit the shrine in peace and harmony, 

 and even I, the wanderer, of strange faith and curious 

 practices, had the way pointed out to me and was 

 welcomed, when at length the summit was reached, by 

 a charming-looking old priest who added the flowers I 

 had gathered on my way to the many offerings lying on 

 the great black snake encircling the symbol of the god 

 Siva, and gave me in return one or two blooms conse- 

 crated by their use, and told me, in language difficult to 



