XVI TRANSPORT DIFFICULTY AT SHUSHAL 289 



larity. On the 13th, when crossing the valley in the 

 neighbourhood of the small lake, I must have turned up 

 some twenty in about half an hour. I do not think I have 

 ever seen hares so numerous anywhere as in that Saka 

 La valley. 



Shushal was the place at which the Nimu men, who 

 had been with us since we crossed the Indus on the 9th, 

 expected to have their yaks and ponies changed. But 

 on inquiry from the Kotwal, as the headman here is 

 called, we were informed that there were not enough 

 yaks in the village to allow of a change, owing to the 

 number out with various sportsmen who had passed 

 through. Also there were very few men left. He 

 offered to give the Nimu men a present, in addition to 

 full pay for their yaks, if they would go on with us, but 

 this liberality did not seem to produce any effect, for the 

 Nimu men stoutly refused to go any further. Matters 

 were left in this unpleasant way for the night, and, from 

 my experience of the Kharnak men at Zara, I anticipated 

 trouble. 



These Champa nomads appear to be accustomed to 

 convey travellers a certain distance for certain stipulated 

 pay, but no increase of pay or offer of rewards seems to 

 have any effect in inducing them to go further. This 

 was well exemplified next morning. 



When I awoke shortly after dawn on the i6th, I heard 

 an angry altercation going on, and when I went out of 

 the tent to see what was the matter, I found that the 

 Nimu men had actually begun to drive off their yaks, 

 although they had not been paid the hire (over Rs.30) 

 due to them for the distance they had come. The 



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