KASHMIR VALLEYS 219 



Early in the afternoon the ranges had been clear cut 

 as crystals, a great diamond chain for Mother Earth, 

 but towards evening a shimmering on the edges, a 

 softening of outline wrought by faint veilings of vague 

 mist clouds pink, purple, blue indicated that the 

 moment for the curtain to drop would soon arrive. From 

 deepest blue the sky changed to a lighter hue, and then 

 to pink and primrose, and the hills so white imitated the 

 delicate tints. Presently all the lower heights were 

 wiped out, hidden in blue haze, and the second range 

 began also to disappear. A pink cloud was concen- 

 trated on great Diyamir, " seat of gods " (Kash. for 

 Nanga Parbat). The slope below me was hidden by 

 mirk shadows, behind me were the forbidding wintry 

 heights of Apharwat, the valley below had covered its 

 spring crops under a ghostly mist, and yonder, far away, 

 was the promised land, the shrine to gain sight of which 

 I had come so far. 



It must have been under similar circumstances that 

 Moses viewed the Promised Land, and, seeing below 

 him summer fields, and with his back to the 

 drear heights he had passed over, looked to the 

 distant ranges of hills shining in the glow of 

 the setting sun, glorious in purples, mauves, 

 blues, and pinks, flooded in golden light, one perhaps 

 like Diyamir, greater than the others, like some pro- 

 tecting strong presence, its might half-veiled by soft 

 fleecy clouds. Then with appetite whetted by such a 

 banquet of sweet sights, he was compelled to turn back, 

 with the hosts he had led, to where, against a sullen sky, 

 dark grey rocks scarred by frozen streams, and the 

 rugged, torn tops of huge dark pines reared their heads 

 and they once again wearily entered their tiny tents, 



