304 



THE BAR A SING. 



herbage also gives a pleasant hue of green, though now 

 yellowing, to the general surface all being a prelude to 

 the coming beauties of Cashmere. 



The halting place is by a sort of warehouse for the 

 deposit of the Maharajah's merchandise in transit, who 

 I find is the principal merchant of his realms, speculating 

 largely in all produce, and exercising a monoply of tea 

 and pasham, chiefly imported from Las ; yet, not to be 

 called a speculation, because he must always make 

 immense profits, as he pays no dues, fixes his own prices, 

 and forces sales on his unwilling but submissive subjects. 

 Thus he always ensures a winning game. 



4th October. On turning out, I found that many 

 coolies had deserted. They were engaged to complete 

 this day's march to Dras. I thought there was some- 

 thing amiss last night, as the fellows kept up a jabbering 

 uproar long after I had turned in. Leaving the energetic 

 Abdoolah and the sepoy to extract other ' slavies ' from 

 the few houses straggling in the neighbourhood which 

 must shelter a population of forty or fifty, I imagine, 

 exclusive of women and bairns I stepped out quickly to 

 the tune of the crackling ice and crisp ground under me. The 

 scenery was similar to that of yesterday, except that more 

 open levels were met with, and the path much improved. 

 The valley widened, admitting a considerable extent of 

 grassy undulations and flats as we neared Dras a large 

 maidan, boasting a fort of the usual form, in good repair 

 and of unexceptionable whitewash. A large enclosure 

 serves for camping. A jemadar and some twelve sepoys 

 are here. Enquiring about my last letter forwarded, I 

 learned to my vexation that it had only left Dras three 

 days ; so I arranged to send in Kamal by tattoo dak to 

 Sirinuggur, where he will probably arrive a day sooner 

 than the so-called post, and rejoin me the other side 



