KASHMIR VALLEYS 147 



while on the other sides detached heights rose to 

 amazing altitudes, a few with unmistakable outlines 

 Kolahoi, Mahadeo, Haramuk others unknown, name- 

 less units in a crowd of beauty. What pleasant 

 breezes blew there; the hot climb, the rough stones 

 they were only the short black tunnel leading to the 

 life-giving upper air. 



I took another track for my downward path, and 

 slipped and fell and picked myself together many a 

 time searching for flowers, such treasures, too, carpets 

 of edelweiss, giant sedums, great purple cranesbill, 

 yellow berberis, and everywhere carpets of roses and 

 delicate ferns, which always retain for me the romance 

 of anonymous friends, being quite unable to make 

 out even distantly their families, with the exception of 

 maidenhair, that grew everywhere profusely. After 

 several rapid glissades and undignified sittings down, 

 I was beginning to wonder whether the ruins had not 

 best be left unexplored, when an unusually long slip, 

 only ended by a violent jerk, which landed me in a 

 berberis bush, revealed me such beauties that heat and 

 sore bones and disappointments were instantly obliter- 

 ated. An absolutely precipitous hillside descended 

 from the spot where I was seated in anything but stately 

 dignity, to the ruins, and the piece of hillside was one 

 vast mosaic of roses pale, rosy pink, deepest blood-red, 

 and purple iris, not one rocky point was allowed to 

 appear, not one tall weed to intervene, thus two queens 

 had conquered all else, and were left alone to fight for 

 dominion. Only an occasional berberis his spikes, no 

 doubt, securing some respect was allowed a fractional 

 flowering space. A living mosaic it was, so full of life 

 that little broken-ofi 7 pieces took fright at my unex- 



