135 



CHAPTER VIII. 



LADAK. 



7th JULY. Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a 

 string of tattoos and foals following. I did not under- 

 stand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well 

 commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily 

 schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the 

 influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi 

 to press these animals into our service. Poor Subhan, 

 however, had as leader to march before me who had 

 resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate. 



The road was very fair, always accompanying the 

 river, and leading through hamlets such as have been 

 already described, some of much interest, with their 

 narrow lanes of rose bushes which were one mass of 

 blossom, and delightfully fragrant. In one place, was a 

 hedge of yellow roses covered with blossoms which were, 

 unlike the red, double and well-formed, but of inferior 

 perfume. The red rose hedge on one side, and yellow on 

 the other, had a pretty effect ; and I imagine their being 

 thus placed to be purely accidental. 



