A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



torrents. The following day I rested here, and 

 looked over the stores brought by Saibra from 

 Srinagar, which he had left in charge of the 

 Tehsildar. Our next march was a long one, being 

 in reality a march and a half, twenty-five miles. At 

 the village of Snurla I changed my coolies, this 

 being the proper " Parao," or march. Continuing 

 for some distance, I met a gorgeously apparelled 

 Ladakhi with his suite. We exchanged greetings, 

 and he told me that a short way further on the 

 road had been washed away, and a short cut had to 

 be taken over the mountains by a path that was 

 quite impossible for beasts of burden ; this was 

 pleasant, as I had five yaks, or rather zhos, and a 

 pony, amongst my transport ! This Ladakhi proved 

 to be Munshi Palgez, a charming old man and a 

 great shikari, who holds a Government appointment 

 of some importance in Ladakh, and to whom 

 Godfrey had kindly given me a letter. On reading 

 this, he gave me a note to his son at Leh, as he 

 himself was on his way down to meet the Joint 

 Commissioner who was still detained at Kargil, 

 building a bridge over the Sooroo River. 



On leaving the road to take the short cut we 

 had some climbing, and then a very steep descent, 

 and equally steep ascent to cross a ravine. The 

 baggage animals managed somehow I believe that 

 they must have walked up the torrent breast-high 

 in the water. It was certainly a climb, but a Balti 



would have made light of it. Ladakhis are not so 



107 



