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likes taking his own time; sometimes also he prefers 

 his own to his customer's ideas, and the result is that 

 when the time of departure comes, the latter has either 

 to take what is but the shadow of the thing ordered, 

 or leave the country empty-handed. When possible, 

 the most satisfactory method is to allow the Kashmiri 

 liberty as to time, and, beyond a general scheme of 

 colour and outline of pattern preferred, leave all details 



Srinagar 



and arrangements of shades to his individual taste. He 

 will never make a mistake when unhampered by 

 restrictions, and the pieces of embroidery, mats, carpets, 

 etc., brought home by me look as lovely and perfect in 

 their new surroundings as when worked under other 

 skies for other purposes. 



One of my first orders given before I went up the 

 river to Islamabad had been for two large felt mats 



