TO THE SHAYAK. 181 



This man also gave us, and others who followed, similar 

 glowing accounts of the quantities of yak met with near 

 the Karakorum, himself getting quite excited by the 

 recollection of them. 



The sun now shone out, and finding our destination, 

 Karbong, still some miles off, I determined to breakfast ; 

 after which I mounted the nag, preceded by Abdool and 

 Phuttoo, leaving poor Subhan, just come up and quite 

 knocked up, to repose, and Kamal to attend him. I rode 

 slowly on, the road execrable, and passed herds of yak 

 and flocks of sheep. The sun came out, and seemed to 

 take vengeance on us for having hitherto escaped him ; 

 the rays, reflected from the white sandy soil and stones, 

 not only roasted, but blinded one. We passed a horrid 

 idol, the head of some deity, rudely moulded in clay, of 

 hideous features painted red, occupying a niche in one of 

 those altar-buildings, the tops of which were piled with 

 wild sheeps-horns ; and the bushy tails of the yak were 

 waving thereon, suspended from poles. Some fresh 

 flowers were deposited in the niche before this ugly demon 

 a recent devotional offering. 



At last we reached Karbong, a few scattered stone 

 houses in irrigated fields in a valley of stones, or rather 

 on the slopes of the mountain, the valley lying apparently 

 further on, where huge mountains, rounded and abrupt, 

 not in a range, but individual masses, presented their 

 curved outlines rapidly inclining downwards to depths 

 shut out from view. I had hoped for a somewhat level 

 country, but as yet it is, if possible, more mountainous, 

 and of huger masses than ever. 



On arrival I took especial care of my horse, getting 

 him lots of grain and grass of which he stood much in 

 need. I could find no shelter from the sun, but a namba 

 spread on sticks, which was better than nothing. Subhan 



