366 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap, xx 



out, the headman had seen us from his village, and had 

 brought coolies instead of ponies, as the latter, he said, 

 were not procurable. We then went along the left bank 

 for a short distance, when we returned to the right by 

 another bridge, opposite to which was a pretty grove. 

 The trees were, as in most of these Ladak groves, 

 planted in regular rows, and standing, when I saw them, 

 deep in flowering lucerne.^ 



In this pleasant spot I sat down and had my break- 

 fast, while I sent the lambardar to try and get two ponies. 

 After considerable delay he produced a couple, one of 

 which was lame, and was returned. He said that he 

 had sent to another village also, and that we should get 

 more ponies a little further on. So we went on, and about 

 two miles beyond, met two ponies being brought for us. 

 At the same point we overtook the coolies and transferred 

 some of the loads to one of these animals, the shikari 

 taking the other. Close to the place where this change 

 was made, I took a photograph of some magnificent 

 granite crags ^ overlooking the Indus. 



About 4 P.M., after a lot of very bad going, entirely 

 over granite, we arrived at Likcha, with our three ponies 

 and some seven or eight men. The lambardar said the 

 next bit of the road was too severe for laden ponies, and 

 gave us men to carry the loads. Unladen ponies, he 

 admitted, could go, and I said I required the ponies, so as 

 to be able to get along fast when the bad bit was passed. 

 He protested he could get no ponies, though there 

 must have been many in so very large a village as 



^ Most of these artificial groves in Ladak are sown with lucerne, to provide grazing 

 for the ponies. 2 ggg illustration on p. 423. 



