74 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



poplars which its former inhabitants planted still flourished 

 in spite of neglect. The stream which was used for 

 watering its deserted fields was still running in its artificial 

 channels, fed by the upper waters of the snow torrent, 

 which tumbled into the Indus clown a steep and rocky 

 gorge a short distance below. 



The track from Shongus to Garmpani passes over a 

 very lofty ridge immediately north of the site of the 

 former place, and it was about lo a.m. when we reached 

 the top, wet through with the exertion, and chilled by the 

 cold wind that met us there. A heavy mist was also 

 drifting in our faces as we entered the plateau at the top. 

 There, seeing some snow in a nook, which meant that 

 water for tea was procurable, and plenty of wood being 

 about, we stopped to breakfast. It was a very cold, raw 

 meal, wet as we were, with that horrible mist wrapping 

 us in ; but there was no water procurable, we were 

 told, till we reached Garmpani, many miles away, so we 

 had to stop. 



After breakfast the descent began, and a most weari- 

 some journey it was, and not till about 2.30 p.m. did we 

 arrive at Garmpani. This place is named from a hot 

 spring (garm = warm, pani = water) which bubbles up from 

 under a rock, beside a stream of clear cold water, which 

 also joins the Indus at this point. There is no village 

 here, and no timber, and our coolies gathered wood 

 where they could on the way down, and brought it in. 

 The distance done was about 8 miles. 



A more desolate spot than this for a camp it would 

 be difficult to imagine. The camping ground was a mass 

 of broken rocks, tumbled about anyhow by the river, with 



