SIRINUGGUR TO THE WURDWAN. 31 



We pulled down beyond the city to the new houses 

 building by the Maharajah for Europeans, an out of the 

 way place, though affording a fine view of the fort of 

 Hari-Parbut and the mountain ranges looking N.E., 

 but too remote from the bazaar to suit most visitors. 



I returned up the river, and enjoyed the trip much. 

 The banks of the river and the houses overhanging are 

 prettily diversified by trees, here and there. One sees 

 some odd wooden buildings floating and attached to the 

 shore, used for purposes of cleanliness, washing, &c. ; yet 

 is the city abominably dirty, beyond anything I ever saw. 



4th May. I took my boat, and, on the representation 

 of Jamhal Khan, gun and shot for wild fowl, and was 

 pulled rapidly down stream. We turned up a canal, and 

 passing under some beautiful trees, the air fresh and 

 pure, lending a charm to everything, we entered a sort 

 of sluice gate by which the waters of the Dal have exit, 

 passing through this channel to the Jhelum. 



In this Dal are the far-famed floating gardens, in 

 which vegetables are cultivated. There are also beautiful 

 isles forming groves and gardens, which in the palmy 

 days of the Mahomedan conquerors were places of con- 

 stant resort for the indulgence of luxury and pleasure, 

 and still attract numerous parties of pleasure, European, 

 of course, and native, the latter adopting quite the pic-nic 

 style. The floating gardens are formed of the weeds 

 dragged up from the bottom, with which the lake is cov- 

 ered, with the exception of large open spaces under the 

 mountains to whose sides sloping downwards it carries its 

 waters. This lake is partly artificial, as it is pent in 

 by embankments with sluice gates, the system of which, 

 however, I am unacquainted with. This piece of water 

 is of great extent, and is one of the most important fea- 

 tures of the neighbouring scenery. 



