A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



path seemed harder than ever, and on this occasion, 

 and I think on this occasion only, I suffered 

 severely from mountain sickness, experiencing 

 intense pains in my head and limbs, with a most 

 uncomfortable sensation of not knowing when 

 one's foot would reach the ground, such as one 

 experiences in a very rough sea, or (Babu Lai said), 

 like a drunken man. On June 3Oth we started on 

 our way down to the Shyok Valley. At Machilu, 

 where I retrieved the stores that I had left, I found 

 that the Commissioner's letter to the Tehsildar of 

 Skardo had produced an order to all heads of 

 villages to help me, and a letter to the Rajah 

 of Kapalu, who had sent an official to accompany 

 me. A very droll figure was this same official, 

 dressed in coat and trousers and soldier's ammuni- 

 tion boots; he answered to the name of Karim. 

 The Rajah also sent a message to say that he 

 would be pleased to play polo or go out shooting 

 with me. I was unable to visit him, as my way 

 lay up the other bank of the Shyok ; but I sent 

 him a hunting-knife, of which I had brought a 

 store for like occasions ; this he appreciated, and 

 asked for any picture-papers that I might have ; I 

 suppose that he wanted them to decorate the walls 

 of his palace. I sent him some copies of the Daily 

 Graphic and Black and White. At Machilu we 

 crossed the Hushe River on "zaks," and had a 

 somewhat merry time of it, as the waves occa- 

 sionally broke completely over us ; the Kashmiris 



81 G 



