A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



care for it. The day after arriving at Leh, I called 

 on the Wazir and presented Captain Godfrey's 

 letters. He was very civil, offered me a cigarette 

 in a sherry-glass, reminding one of a cheap 

 restaurant, and really did all that he could to 

 help me. He gave me "perwanas" to be read 

 to all head-men of villages, said that he had 

 heard from Samad Shah, my banker in Kashmir, 

 and would be happy to supply me with unlimited 

 rupees, gave all necessary orders that transport 

 should be supplied to me, as well as the store of 

 food that we had to take with us for the retinue (as 

 we were about to plunge into wilds where supplies 

 were scarce), and last, but not least, gave orders 

 for a local shikari, who was said to be well 

 acquainted with all the best shooting-grounds, to 

 accompany me. 



This man was an Argoon, that is, the son of a 

 Kashmiri father and a Ladakhi mother, and, though 

 he did not know much about the actual hunting of 

 animals indeed, Salia would net let him take charge 

 of a stalk he proved quite invaluable in the way 

 of talking to the inhabitants and interpreting for us, 

 as of course he knew both Kashmiri and Ladakhi, 

 and also made all the necessary arrangements with 

 them for food, &c. He answered to the name of 

 Ramzahn. The remainder of the one day that I 

 stayed at Leh was spent in selecting the stores 

 that I should require for two months or so, and 



sending the rest of my baggage to the Wazir, who 



114 



