A Dreaded Pass. 



of this dreaded pass, months afterwards, when the snow has 

 melted and the ground somewhat cleared, the bodies being re- 

 covered. A stone hut has been built on the summit to afford 

 shelter to travellers and mail runners when overtaken by storms. 

 The view therefrom is dreary and depressing in the extreme, 

 being nothing but snow-covered wastes, and with range upon 

 range of mountains all wrapped in the same white mantle. 



I halted on the summit some twenty minutes to permit the 

 coolies to overtake me, but as they did not appear I decided to 

 push on to Chillum Chauki, down the valley on the Gilgit side. 

 The sun, shining brilliantly, had softened the upper layers of 

 snow, making the going arduous and exhausting to a degree, and 





COOLIES NEAR THE SUMMIT OF THE BURZII, PASS. 



though the sky was cloudless the air was keen and sharp, whilst 

 every now and again a cold blast would sweep down from the 

 mountains, whirling up the powdery snow into fitful eddies. 



Five miles below the summit I reached the post runner's 

 shelter, known as Sirdar Kothi, the only sign of habitation on the 

 desolate, treeless plain — five miles of ploughing and blundering 

 through knee-deep snow. 



I halted the night at Chillum Chauki, after another two 

 hours' further struggling through the interminable snow, finding 

 there a fairly plentiful supply of firewood, which, when kindled, 



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