258 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



Overhead towered the peak called Kotwal (14,271 

 feet in height), while the slopes which faced north- 

 wards were forested over with cedar and pines as 

 densely as can be imagined, the slopes facing the 

 south being, as I have also observed elsewhere, almost 

 completely denuded of trees. 



In the morning, long before the break of day, the 

 shikari went along the base of the nullah to search for 

 tracks of deer, but I have reason to believe that the 

 old man did not venture far. To me, however, with 

 his son and two local coolies, were apportioned the 

 burden and heat, or, more strictly speaking, the bitter 

 cold of the day that is, of the night rather, for the 

 full moon was yet high above the mountain peaks 

 when we set out to clamber along one of the ridges 

 which led upwards towards the summit of Kotwal. 

 At eight o'clock a herd of deer was sighted ahead of 

 us on the ridge by one of the coolies. For a long time 

 I was unable to distinguish them, and, when I did, 

 was surprised to find how small and diminutive they 

 appeared, owing to the clearness of the atmosphere 

 and the large size of the cedars under which they were 

 standing, apparently nibbling a scanty sustenance off 

 the twigs and branches which were left uncovered by 

 the snow. So deep was the snow, and so much of the 

 powdery consistency of flour, that a full hour elapsed 

 ere we reached the place without exposing ourselves. 

 The air was as still as death, and not a sound was 

 heard from all the vast ranges of mountains which lay 

 around, but occasionally a mass of snow would fall 



