248 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



the loin-cloth, which, the inhabitants of Hindustan 

 never remove even when bathing, and paddle them- 

 selves across upon an inflated skin. Through the base 

 of every branching valley on either side tributary 

 streams, dry now, but swollen rivers in autumn and 

 at the melting of the snows, have cut channels so deep 

 that only when one has to toil up and down their pre- 

 cipitous sides, can one realise their profundity, and 

 long, long detours will the new highway have to make 

 in consequence. 



Being winter this was the only road into Kashmir, 

 and numerous were the native travellers one met, most 

 of them ready with a respectful salute and " salaam, 

 sahib" or "salaam, hadji ;" some were with their 

 women-folk, but most of these latter went by the less- 

 frequented path, upon the opposite bank, closely veiled, 

 where long files of the fair creatures could sometimes 

 be discerned following the winding path along the 

 hill-side, mounted on ponies, and generally bright 

 with colour, while the men were always wrapped 

 in white, or in the dark grey shawls of Kashmir. 



The next two days' marches differed but little from 

 the rest. The travellers' bungalows, or rest-houses, 

 built by His Highness for travellers, are at an average 

 distance apart of about twelve miles. In the short 

 winter days it was not found convenient to make 

 double marches in one day, but I was made aware of 

 the fact that only if I remained behind the coolies, 

 and at a considerable distance from them, did they 

 travel fast and well. Once or twice I shot a wild 



