334 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



where the Hanle river joins the Indus, and camped close 

 to our old quarters of the 9th of August. The day's 

 journey was 28 miles. 



The crossing of the Indus on the morning of the 9th 

 delayed us a good deal, as we were unable to fully load 

 the ponies when going over, owing to the water coming 

 too high up on their bodies. So some of the nags had 

 to make two journeys. The bedding was, for fear of 

 accidents, carried over by the men, and it was amusing 

 to hear them singing as they crossed, just as the other 

 Champas had done at Nimu. After crossing the Indus 

 we forded the Hanle river, as the path is along the 

 right bank. That evening by sundown we were in sight 

 of the Hanle monastery, picturesquely perched on a rocky 

 crag jutting out into the valley. Round the foot of this 

 eminence the Hanle river finds its way, in taking its final 

 bend to the north-west. We camped on a windy plain 

 with thin grass, but with any amount of fine tramsa bushes, 

 at a spot opposite the mouth of the Sango nala. The 

 distance covered in the day was about 20 miles. 



Next morning (the loth) the thermometer stood at 

 29° in my tent when I got up at daybreak, but the 

 water inside was not frozen. I sent Abdulla on ahead 

 to Hanle to arrange for ponies, and about 10.30 a.m. 

 reached the few houses, clustered at the foot of the 

 monastery, which form the village. There was some 

 delay in getting the animals, and I took the opportunity 

 to sit down in a small garden and have my breakfast. 

 The garden was about 20 feet long by 6 wide, and 

 boasted of a few stunted willow-trees, a patch of grass 

 in the middle, and two or three small beds with African 



