2IO SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



tent pole as usual, when I was struck by hearing the 

 rippling of water very close, and it then flashed on me 

 that the irrigation system had been set to work, and that 

 water was actually flowing through my tent ! Jumping 

 up I hastily removed what was over the channel, and 

 sure enough a little rill was travelling merrily through 

 the tent ! A shout quickly brought up the shikari, and 

 the stream was promptly diverted. So no harm was 

 done, but it was a new experience to have water actually 

 flowing through my tent, and within a foot of the ground 

 on which my bedding was spread. 



On the 2 1 St I was lazy, as I had determined to halt, 

 and did not get up till daybreak. The day was spent 

 in arranging the loads, getting ponies, having clothes 

 washed, and sending off letters, etc., to the post-office at 

 Astor. I took the opportunity also to tub, and to mend 

 my boots, which were in need of cobbling. I carried 

 a cobbler's awl, thread, and wax for the purpose, and 

 found them most useful many a time. 



The inhabitants of the Astor valley are Dards, a 

 timid race, and it was not without difficulty that I 

 induced three of them, a man and two women, to allow 

 themselves to be photographed. There was nothing 

 special about them except their head-dress. The men 

 wear a curious cloth cap formed of a long woollen bag, 

 the open end of which is rolled up till the closed 

 extremity fits the skull tight. The women wear regular 

 poke bonnets such as were fashionable once with us. 

 Abdulla always wore a Dard cap instead of a turban 

 while stalking, as it was less conspicuous. 



On the 22nd we were up at four, and in motion 



