LEH. 



165 



Some way further on a 'posse' appeared, comprising 

 the two sons of Basti Earn in gay attire, with some 

 sepoys in dirty ditto, waiting to receive and welcome me 

 to the city of Leh. We exchanged courteous greeting ; 

 and I pursued my way thus escorted to the outskirts of 

 the city (so called), over an infamous path of stones, ditches, 

 and drains, running over the partitions of the fields, 

 when I accorded ' congee ' to the gentlemen attending me, 

 and, preceded by an official, made my way to a garden, 

 or enclosure, containing poplars and willow trees, where I 

 found my tent and belongings awaiting me, and was 

 heartily glad of a good wash, nor at all disinclined for 

 dinner afterwards. This was a very long day. I have 

 now reached another prominent point in my travels, where 

 I must, perforce, remain some days, until my effects from 

 Sirinuggur arrive, of which I have no tidings. 



Leh is certainly picturesque, but further than that I 

 can say nothing at present in its favour : but imagine it 

 to be a dirty, insignificant place, the fitting capital of a 

 miserable country, and a low degraded population. We 

 shall see. 



By the way, I must not omit that, in the narrow ravine 

 on this side Mimah, whose sandy depths caused us so 

 much exertion to traverse, we overtook a party of villagers 

 proceeding with asses laden with firewood to Leh. This 

 being distant some fourteen miles was pretty strong testi- 

 mony to the nakedness of the environs of Leh. With 

 this party was one in ordinary attire as themselves, but 

 of the clergy in fact, a lama ; and in his hand he car- 

 ried one of those bright copper affairs I had noticed at 

 Tahmoos. This article was in shape like a child's rattle 

 of large size, the upper or box portion revolving on its 

 axis, the handle. To the box was attached a string some 

 two or three inches long, with a tassel at the end. I now 



