286 IMMENSE GLACIERS. 



took down two right and left with the old Whitworth, much 

 to the delight of my excited companions. After securing 

 the beasts, and dragging them to a convenient spot for 

 leaving them until next morning, we made the best of our 

 way to the place we intended passing the night, under the 

 lee of a rock. The cold was bitter lying out at night, as 

 there was keen frost and a high wind. 



We were afoot early next morning over fresh ground, 

 and soon descried a large flock with two fine rams in it. 

 But our attempts to approach them were fruitless, as they 

 were in a very open position, and proved too crafty for us. 

 Nothing more was seen except a brood of snow-pheasants 

 which we flushed on our way down to the tents. 



A few days' travelling brought us to the ibex ground, 

 where the Major had an unsuccessful hunt, whilst I took a 

 good rest in camp. 



Any attempt of mine to describe the glacier scenery of 

 the Spiti and Lahoul mountains, through which our way led 

 for several days, would be quite inadequate to convey the 

 slightest idea of its wild grandeur. Suffice it to say that 

 the longest of Alpine glaciers, the Aletsch, which is some 

 twenty miles in length, cannot be compared in size with 

 many of those in the Himalayas, the largest of which are 

 found in the Karakorum range, far to the north-west of 

 Cashmere and Ladak. 



After quitting the snow and ice on the top of the Hampta 

 pass between the districts of Spiti and Kulu, how changed 

 was the aspect of the mountains on its southern side, from 

 the barren dreary solitudes amongst which we had been 

 roaming during the past four months ! With what keen 

 delight did we hail the first glimpse of the green slopes, 

 birch-woods, and pine-clad hills of Kulu, a country famed 

 for the romantic beauty of its scenery. 



On reaching Sultanpore, the chief town of Kulu, we put up 

 in a house and procured some fresh vegetables luxuries we 

 had not indulged in for months. A newspaper many weeks 



