BAGICHA VILLAGE 



53 



At Bagicha my lui was spread in the cool and shady 

 verandah of the local mosque, and I sat down with my 

 back against the door, while I wrote letters and waited 

 for Ramzana to bring breakfast. The flat-roofed cottages 

 of the village, which lies but little above the Indus, were 

 around me, with numbers of apricot-trees not yet show- 

 ing signs of blossom. In front, on the opposite bank, 

 rose the usual terra-cotta and slate-gray crags, absolutely 

 destitute of a particle of vegetation. To the left, at the 

 extremity of the gorge, was a snow-capped mountain, 

 a huge mass of dazzling white in the brilliant sunshine. 

 Immediately to my right was a lovely little mountain 

 stream, clear as crystal, which almost put me to sleep 

 with its pleasant babbling sound. Here I rested till 

 about 2.30 P.M., and then walked on, after changing my 

 boots, to Kharmang, about 3 miles by the map, and 

 nearly two hours by time. 



This changing of my boots I found very useful for 

 keeping the feet in good order, when marching on tracks 

 not encumbered with snow. In the morning, when it 

 was generally cold, I wore ordinary English shooting 

 boots, with ice screws in the soles. These I took off at 

 breakfast, and allowed my feet to cool. When starting 

 again I usually put on a pair of chaplis, with leather 

 socks over my ordinary ones. Chaplis are cooler than 

 boots, and the change prevents the feet being chafed. 

 The tiffin coolie carries in the lui the foot-gear which is 

 not in use. 



We got in early to Kharmang, about 4.30 p.m., 

 and as coolies had to be changed, resolved to stop for 

 the night. The Rentons. who had made a double 



