VII SMASHED BOTTLE OF JWARI HARI 99 



we were obliged to make the long round to Sarsal, to 

 cross by the bridge there. 



The descent invoh^ed a very sudden change of 

 temperature. The preceding night the water had frozen 

 in the canteen in my tent, whereas this night I could not 

 use my sleeping bag, but slept outside it with only 

 a single blanket over me. One of the coolies had 

 dropped the small box in which I kept the tea and sugar 

 in daily use and a few medicines. The box was a bit 

 broken, but I managed to repair it partially, and it 

 worked all right for a time. But a bottle of jwari hari ^ 

 had been smashed, and the contents getting into the sugar 

 did not improve its flavour. The sugar, however, was too 

 valuable to throw away, and I reflected that a tonic mixed 

 with my tea would probably be most beneficial. 



The next day, the 24th, we did a good deal of march- 

 ing. In the morning we went back to Sarsal in order 

 to cross by the rope bridge. Word had been sent to 

 my coolie there, in charge of the things left behind, 

 to have the tent struck and the loads ready to come on 

 with us, and picking them up and changing coolies, we 

 marched round the Great Bend of the Indus, down its 

 right bank to the village of Honuspa. 



Here, sitting on green turf beside a beautifully clear 

 and cold little irrigation channel, under the shade of 

 mulberry and apricot trees, and with wheat fields all 

 around, in which the corn was half a foot or more high, 

 I had a delightful breakfast on a charming summer's 

 day. It was difficult to realise, as I felt the pleasant 

 breeze, laden with the scent of wild mint, that at the same 



1 See p. 4S1. 



