216 TO THE KARAKORUM. 



flowed a torrent. This we had to cross continually. 

 And as, each time, my wetting was renewed by the 

 splashing of my high- stepping nag, and it was freezing, 

 I endured agonies of cold, which quite blinded me to the 

 magnificence of the savage grandeur of the scenery. 

 After two hours of this misery we turned abruptly from 

 the ravine, and ascended by a gulley to the hill-side, and, 

 surmounting a stiffish ascent, found a fine open valley 

 before us. 



I now thoroughly restored the circulation, and strode 

 on vigorously. A caravan came in sight ; on arriving at 

 which, composed of about twenty horses, we pulled up, 

 and I chatted some time with the proprietor, and tried to 

 deal for a horse. But the price did not suit. Some fifty 

 more laden horses came up ; and I tried to bargain for 

 some Thibet boots for my followers. The first merchant 

 was reasonable, but had no stock for sale; the others 

 were exorbitant, and the business concluded by the 

 former, after much altercation with his partners (I pre- 

 sume), presenting me with two pair, saying he had 

 received more kindness from the ' saheb-logue ' than he 

 could ever repay. He is an Afighan. The merchants 

 accompanying my party are from Cabul, and also profess 

 the utmost regard and respect for the English. This 

 liberal fellow gave us most encouraging accounts of the 

 abundance of game at Sugheit, and at another place 

 nearer, where he himself had killed a fine antelope 

 which intruded amongst and frightened his horses. 

 There were numbers of kyang there. This place is three 

 or four stages off. My new acquaintance is going to 

 Lahore, where he promises to pay his respects to me, 

 should he have left Ladak before my return. 



We continued our march, much exhilarated by the 

 reports of shikar ; and after some three or four miles of 



