TO THE KARAKORUM. 201 



orders of Basti Ram enjoining on all officials the duty of 

 supplying my wants, and specially, in this instance, good 

 horses, which, I said, I knew were to be had. Then, 

 assuming wrathful indignation, I observed that I had 

 hitherto waited patiently, and submitted with the utmost 

 moderation to the kardar's trickery and evasions, but 

 that I must now adopt other measures, and I declared 

 that if a sufficient number of serviceable horses were not 

 speedily forthcoming, I would seize the kardar, and strap 

 a load on his back, and compel him to come with me. 

 This braggadocio style was the thing. Consternation fell 

 upon kardar, his followers, and all the villagers standing 

 looking on. I remained scowling at them in truly mock 

 heroic style to allow of no hope of my relenting : then, 

 seeing that orders were given, and messengers hurried off 

 in all directions, I retired from the scene ; and in the 

 course of an hour or so a capital lot of serviceable- 

 looking nags were paraded, on inspecting which I told 

 the kardar that there was proof positive of the cor- 

 rectness of my information. He, in a deprecating tone, 

 assured me that these were the property of merchants, 

 and depasturing here. I must have them anyhow ; and 

 the custom of the country, and the purwanahs I bear, 

 entitle me to them. And I cannot see any difference 

 between a zemindar's and a sandagur's horse, only that 

 the latter is the richer of the two, and can better remedy 

 any inconvenience that he may be subjected to. But I 

 have positive information that these horses have been 

 detained by the government, until some transactions of a 

 suspicious character, smuggling or fraudulent, on the part 

 of the owners (brothers) have been cleared up, of which 

 there seems no present prospect ; so, meantime, they may 

 as well serve my turn. I shall have in all nineteen or 

 twenty horses and some twenty-four men in my expedi- 



