22 'TO SIRINUGGUR. 



lead him, to restore circulation, but she did not adopt my 

 suggestion ; so, leaving a man to help then on, I continued 

 my ascent, and finally reached the top. 



The height is, I believe, some 10,000 feet above the 

 sea. The view, looking back, is magnificent an endless 

 succession of wave4ike lines of hills terminating, as they 

 gradually recede, in the hot vapours of the Punjab. 



It was pleasant to look down the steep and rugged path 

 we had won our way up, there beholding others still toil- 

 ing and struggling upwards, the coolies with their loads 

 in a long-drawn straggling line, here coming into view, 

 and quickly disappearing behind some projection or in 

 some bend of the road, but constantly to be seen resting 

 on their crutches. I watched my ponies with some 

 anxiety. They had been stripped in order to give them 

 every freedom of limb, and several coolies had been told 

 off to assist them. They were more than half-way up 

 when I saw them : it was just at a difficult point, where 

 the snow was deep and soft, and the path hung on the 

 side of the mountain. The old Yarkandi broke through 

 the snow, and was plunging and struggling violently, but 

 after three or four desperate efforts got out of trouble. 

 The other avoided this place. I find the former from his 

 very caution apt to go off the good path, and get himself 

 into difficulties. When the snow gives, he goes down on 

 his knees and so hobbles on. 



I did not wait longer, but strode away over the snowy 

 plains, which descend in a very gentle incline to the Allia- 

 habad Serai. The sensation was delightful after the 

 troublesome ascent, and I enjoyed the change of play of 

 muscles amazingly, as did my two little dogs to whom 

 the snow was a novelty. They kept frisking and bound- 

 ing about, rushing off to a distance, then occasionally 

 taking a roll. 



