TO SIRINUGGUR. 23 



The landscape, as a winter scene, was perfect, one 

 glittering field of snow, lofty hills on either side also 

 covered with snow, the sun shining cheerily, and the diffi- 

 cult entrance to the valley achieved. But after a time 

 my eyes ached from the glare, and I was glad when a 

 mile or two of descent brought us to patches of brown 

 hillside. There were two very awkward watercourses to 

 cross, the banks high, precipitous, and covered with snow, 

 giving every chance of a tumble. 



I got well over, and found the serai, where I had in- 

 tended to halt, in such a state from snow, melted and 

 unmelted, and the only place for camping in a similar 

 condition that, shrinking from its chill uninviting aspect, 

 I determined to push on ; so after my usual breakfast of 

 cold tea and hard eggs I again sped on my way and a 

 toilsome way it was. The sun was now very hot, and the 

 path running over ridges and down gorges of rock on the 

 slopes of the mountain, and encumbered with snow, in 

 enormous drifts in some of the ravines, made this ad- 

 ditional eight miles (I think it was) a formidable addition 

 to the ascent of the Panjal. 



I forgot to mention that on the top of the Pir is a 

 faquir's hut, where last year we were supplied with the 

 most delicious draught of milk we had ever tasted. But 

 the faquir had not yet ventured to face the inclement 

 climate, so no milk this time. 



There is also a small watch tower of an octagonal form, 

 of which there are several to be seen, here and there, 

 along the route. This forms a very conspicuous object, 

 being so distinctly seen at Possianah as to deceive one as 

 to the distance ; and I fancy that an European accustomed 

 to the denser atmosphere of the mountain regions in that 

 quarter of the globe would be astonished at the atmos- 

 pheric effects here. Rarely, except in case of a thunder- 



