212 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



fast under a fine pine at the edge of the Astor river, 

 which supphed cold clear water. 



The ponies passed about 4 p.m., and an hour later I 

 followed them, and found the camp pitched about a mile 

 above Godai, on a grassy patch between the road and 

 the Astor river, near a spring. Being evening the stream 

 was now turbid with melted snow, and the spring there- 

 fore an advantage. The distance done from Los was 

 about 18 miles. 



I weighed myself before dinner on a Salter's spring 

 balance, and found that I was 11 stone i lb., about 2^ 

 stone lighter than when I started from India. This 

 was too much of a reduction, and should have warned 

 me that there was something wrong, but I thought 

 nothing of it, and had to pay afterwards for my folly. 



On the 23rd we had a short march of 13 miles, 

 through charming scenery, to Sardar's chowki, where I 

 learned that it would be impossible, owing to fresh snow 

 above the Borzil Pass, to get up to the Deosai plateau. 

 People we met told us this, and it became necessary 

 once more to reconsider our route. So I resolved to 

 halt next day, and see what could be arranged. 



I spent a great part of the 24th endeavouring to 

 devise a way of getting to Deosai. The route in- 

 volved going up from the Borzil to the north-east, 

 and the pony-men said that with fresh snow there 

 would be no grazing for their animals for over two 

 marches, and it would be impossible to go. What they 

 really wanted, I felt sure, was to reach Bandipur, where 

 the road to Gilgit practically commences, in order to get 

 employment again for the journey back, so I am pretty 



