46 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



went up to the roof of the Serai, washed our feet while 

 we dried our socks and putties in the sun, and had break- 

 fast, in a civilised manner, at a table and sitting in chairs. 

 The furniture was obtained from the Rentons' loads, 

 which had arrived much about the time that we ourselves 

 got in. 



The Serai is a square enclosure full of small rooms 

 surrounding a courtyard. The rooms have no windows, 

 and it is usual for the occupant who requires a fire, to light 

 it in the centre of the mud floor, and let the smoke go up 

 through the hole in the roof. The building was full of 

 coolies, and cattle and ponies occupied the courtyard, the 

 floor of which was simply a mass of liquid mud and 

 manure. Renton had with him a copy of Knight's book. 

 Where Three Empires Meet, and at breakfast looked up 

 his description of the march to Leh. He read aloud the 

 following extract referring to the place where we were at 

 the time : — 



" We put up for the night in the Serai of the little 

 village of Tashgam. One need not pitch the tents at 

 any stage between Mataiyun and Leh, as there are State 

 rest-houses for the accommodation of travellers, y^r the 

 ttse of which no charge is made.'' 



The italics are mine. Sitting where we were, looking 

 down into the liquid filth of the Tashgam Serai courtyard, 

 and the small coolie-inhabited, smoky, muddy pig-sties 

 which surrounded it, and remembering what we had just 

 experienced at Baltal, Machahoi, Mataiyun, and Dras, we 

 appreciated the grim, though unconscious irony of that 

 closing sentence, "accommodation , . . for the use of 

 which no charge is made." 



