SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



would not have worked, as the weight would have 

 been all on one shoulder. Coolies in Kashmir carrying 

 heavy loads fasten them with ropes over both shoulders. 



Three of the permanent coolies had come, under 

 Abdulla's instructions, laden with rice straw for the 

 grass shoes described later on, which are used on the 

 Kashmir mountains, and made as required by the men. 

 As each load was, or ought to have been about 50 lbs., the 

 total weight should have been 150 lbs. In all probability 

 it was not more than about a cwt. This quantity proved 

 insufficient, and gave out in less than two months. 



It was a miserable day when we landed. The rain 

 was coming down in a steady drizzle as I stood on the 

 muddy bank with my waterproof cape on, watching 

 Abdulla arranging the loads amongst the quarrelling 

 coolies. By about 2.30 p.m. everything was done, and 

 then, accompanied by the shikari, the cook, and Chand, 

 I started, leaving the coolies to follow. From my ex- 

 perience of coolies in Assam this seemed to me a 

 risky proceeding, but Abdulla assured me that once the 

 loads had been accepted by the men, they were perfectly 

 certain to bring them in safely. 



The road up the Sind valley, on which we had now 

 entered, was practically all along the edges of rice fields, 

 and on such a wet day was exceedingly bad going. The 

 clay soil had been churned into sticky mud by many 

 travellers, and as I was, unfortunately, wearing a pair of 

 shooting boots without nails, I slipped about in the most 

 disagreeable manner and was nearly down on several 

 occasions. For this reason progress was slow, and it 

 was not till 5.10 p.m. that, after going for about 8 miles, 



