Ill SONAMERG TO BALTAL 31 



wards in getting my wishes attended to. This is a thing 

 that all travellers in these parts should insist on, as the 

 want of one's bedding at night causes more discomfort, 

 in my opinion, than even the want of food. 



At Sonamerg, about two miles beyond Shitkuri, there 

 is a post and telegraph office, and I took the opportunity 

 to post my letters and send a wire. 



Then we marched on, and soon overtook a lady and 

 gentleman endeavouring to make head against the 

 difficulties of the road. The gentleman was behind, 

 floundering along, as we were doing, through the soft 

 snow. The lady was a little in front sitting in her 

 dandy — a kind of sedan chair — which had been put 

 down in the snow while the coolies changed. 



With a word or two of greeting we passed on, and 

 about noon stopped for breakfast, which was cooked for 

 us in a post-runner's log hut. These shelters exist every 

 few miles along this route, so that were a snowstorm to 

 come on suddenly no runner would be far from a refuge 

 of some kind. 



Before having breakfast we had taken off our wet socks 

 and grass shoes, and got them partially dried over the fire 

 lighted for cooking in a corner of the shed. But it was cold 

 work putting them on again and starting to continue our 

 tramp. I wore coloured glasses to save my eyes from the 

 blinding effects of sun reflected from the snow. The ser- 

 vants and the coolies all wore theirs, but J ebb said that 

 these spectacles hurt his eyes, and would not wear his. 



About 6 P.M. we came in sight of Baltal, where we 

 were to halt for the night before attacking the Pass in 

 the morninof. We had covered about 12 miles. There 



o 



