468 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



a mattress I got made myself. I bought three red 

 woollen blankets, 6^ feet by 5 feet, from the Elgin Mills, 

 Cawnpore,and doublingeach lengthways, had them quilted 

 strongly together one on top of another. The result 

 was a warm but thin mattress, of six folds of blanketing, 

 6J feet by 2 J feet, the exact size of the Elliott camp bed. 

 The only objections to it were its weight and want of 

 flexibility, and in consequence of these, and because I 

 had a white numdah to put on the floor of my tent and 

 a bag to sleep in, I did not take it when camping in the 

 nalas near Sarsal. It was found most useful, however, 

 in Ladak, and if I were going shooting in the Himalayas 

 again, I should certainly take a mattress of the kind, only 

 I should have it made of two blankets instead of three. 



The sleeping-bag is rather a luxury than a necessity. 

 It is useful in allowing of a smaller supply of blankets 

 being taken, and is not as bulky as these in proportion 

 to its warmth. The price will vary with its quality, and 

 the credulity of the purchaser. When I was buying 

 one, the maker put down the price at Rs.35. On my 

 showing his account to Captain Merewether, my friend 

 remarked that the price seemed higher than he had him- 

 self paid, and asked the man to show him his own 

 account. With some reluctance that worthy turned 

 back to Captain Merewether's bill, and there we found 

 that Rs. 28 was the correct price for an article similar to 

 what I was getting. 



Whatever style of valise is adopted, it is most im- 

 portant to see that the bedding does not get wet. To 

 insure this, I always had a separate strip of waterproof 

 sheeting, which was rolled round the bedding and 



