4 PREPARATIONS AND EQUIPMENTS. 



a certificate of character, stating him to be an "useful 

 servant, capable of any personal attendance required by 

 a traveller and hunter. He had the strong recommend- 

 ation, too, of an intimate acquaintance with the country 

 of Ladak, and the routes north and east of Cashmere, 

 together with the sporting localities, the haunts of the 

 yak (wild cattle), and the kyang (wild horse) ; so thinking 

 him an acquisition I closed with him at twelve rupees 

 per month, and directed him to proceed to the rendezvous 

 at Bhimber. 



Having thus enumerated my personal attendants, I 

 must now mention my coolies, Cashmiries, twenty of 

 whom I engaged at five rupees a month to convey my 

 baggage to Sirinuggur, the capital of Cashmere. 



My stores, and all articles that could be so disposed, 

 were packed in long baskets, called kheltas, which the 

 Cashmiries hoist on their backs, strapping them to their 

 shoulders : and with them they carry a stout crutch about 

 two feet high, on the cross-piece of which they rest their 

 load when pausing on the road, and taking breath in 

 ascending mountains an excellent mode of relief as it 

 does not cause them to shift or put down their load. 

 They only straighten their backs, so that the khelta rests 

 on the crutch ; and when refreshed again bend to their 

 burden and trudge on, often too often for the early 

 arrival of one's baggage repeating this process. 



This mode of hiring coolies answers admirably. They 

 are returning to their homes in Cashmere from Amritsir, 

 to which grand emporium for Cashmere goods they had 

 brought loads of merchandise in the commencement of 

 the cold season, and it is to them, of course, a piece of 

 good luck getting return loads. They all appeared strong, 

 sturdy, well-limbed men, and got away with my traps, 

 my servants and horses in company, the whole under 



