220 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



and for riders it was rather ticklish work. On reach- 

 ing the desolate valley, where there were only a few 

 stunted bushes, I thought it high time to refresh the 

 inner man, fancying we had only to go down this 

 valley a little way to come upon Dras and human 

 habitations ; but I had only taken a few mouthfuls 

 when I learned that it led nowhere, that it had no 

 human habitations, and that, in order to reach Dras, 

 we should have to cross another snowy range, pos- 

 sibly higher than the one we had just got over with 

 so much difficulty. The effect upon me of this piece 

 of information was precisely like that of a hot potato. 

 On inquiry, I found that the score of coolies had 

 little more than a pound of flour among them, and 

 that my servants were in almost as bad a predica- 

 ment. I had told the latter always to be provided 

 for such an emergency ; but they excused themselves 

 on the ground that they had supposed we had got 

 out of the high mountains. I myself could have 

 camped with perfect comfort, having plenty of pro- 

 visions and clothing ; but the Ingarries had no suffi- 

 cient means of protecting themselves from the cold, 

 besides being destitute of provisions. The situation 

 was an extremely difficult one, because by this time 

 it was past three o'clock ; the sun was completely 

 shaded off the valley by the mountains around ; an 

 intense cold began to make us all shiver ; and to at- 

 tempt a snowy pass at that hour in the afternoon, 

 after having been almost continuously travelling from 



