278 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



diment for food, as medicine, and as supplying one 

 of the colours with which Hindus make some of 

 their caste-marks. The saffron is called hung in the 

 Kashmiri language ; and, according to Elmslie, 180 

 grains of saffron the dried stigmata of the Crociis 

 satiwifi bring nearly a shilling in the valley itself. 

 In good seasons about 2000 iraks of it are annually 

 produced in the valley, and a trait seems to be equal 

 to nearly 10 Ib. English. October is the season for 

 collecting the flowers. A dry soil is said to be 

 necessary to the growth of them ; and in from eight 

 to twelve years they exhaust the soil so much that 

 eight years are often allowed to elapse before growing 

 it again on the exhausted ground. 



The garden at Islamabad was full of soldiers, 

 priests, and beggars ; and I was glad to move on five 

 miles to Bawan, on the Liddar, where there is a 

 similar grove and fish-ponds, but far more secluded, 

 and with more magnificent trees. This is a delight- 

 ful place, and almost no one was to be found in the 

 enclosure round the tanks, which are held specially 

 sacred. On the way thither I passed large flocks of 

 ponies on graze, this part of Kashmir being famous 

 for its breed. They are not in any respect, except 

 size, to be compared with the ponies of Tibet ; but 

 they are tolerably sure-footed, and can continue pretty 

 long daily journeys. At Srinagar I had purchased, 

 for my own use, a Khiva horse from a Panjabi 

 colonel and well-known sportsman. It had been 



