250 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



peaks on the right bank culminate in the Kajnag 

 (14,445 feet), which great range still harbours a 

 few very few of the gigantic goat (markhor) and 

 the great red deer of Kashmir (barasingh). It was 

 late next morning before we started to climb the 

 mountains. Once we halted while the so-called 

 shikari or huntsman searched for traces of a bear 

 supposed to haunt a certain rock. I wore, for the 

 first time, the far-famed grass shoes of Kashmir, about 

 which I had heard so much, and put them on over 

 shooting boots, that they might, if necessary, be dis- 

 carded, with the result, however, of greatly increasing 

 the toil of ascending. 



Eope made of coarse, strong grass, twisted together, 

 is procurable everywhere, and can be made up into 

 sandals by any one for all the world in Kashmir wears 

 this species of foot-covering at a cost of about two 

 for a farthing ; and digitated socks of wool or leather, 

 costing two annas (twopence) a pair, are worn with 

 them. The rough surface of these shoes retains a 

 wonderful hold on smooth rock faces, frozen and com- 

 pacted snow, and steep slopes slippery with long dry 

 grass. But in winter, except on the roads, English 

 shooting boots are best, for mere socks soon get satu- 

 rated. For example, a few days later my shikari and 

 coolies suffered greatly from the snow, two of them 

 being frost-bitten while I was stalking some barasingh. 



Grass shoes made in almost identically the same 

 manner, and of a similar if not identical species of grass, 

 are worn universally by Japanese of the peasant class. 



