332 CASHMERE. 



thing in the whole journey surpasses this. The forms of 

 the hills are so fine and diversified, and the foliage so 

 rich and abundant. I stopped hy a bright gurgling 

 stream in an enchanting spot. Reposing on a thick, soft 

 turf, and canopied by sweet- smelling shrubs, I awaited 

 the arrival of breakfast. In this locality, and on to 

 Thanna, still bloom some deliciously-fragrant creepers, 

 yielding a perfume like woodbine. With this exception, 

 one misses the abounding fragrance enjoyed early in the 

 year one of the greatest charms of the journey to my 

 mind. 



I finished the remaining mile or two riding. There 

 was a very perceptible change of temperature here, which 

 induced me on arrival of my traps to effect a thorough 

 change of costume. I was well remembered and pestered 

 by beggars one, a blind man, with a fearful goitre : one 

 sees but few so afflicted in these mountain regions. My 

 servants, to my surprise, brought with them the Ladak 

 dog. He had followed them, and was so pleased with 

 my notice that, feeling sure I was not committing a theft, 

 but only securing a truant or wanderer, I ordered him to 

 be tied up, and to be enrolled on our strength for rations. 

 Poor Sara is so dreadfully jealous that he has gone and 

 secluded himself in the tent, and actually shed tears in 

 his distress : he refused his dinner also, till I took it into 

 the tent for him, and coaxed him to eat it. 



A row just took place between the Maharajah's 

 moonshi, or tax-gatherer, and some of my followers. I 

 heard angry voices for some time, Suleiman appearing to 

 be much aggrieved and loud in indignation. After 

 repeatedly intimating his intention of appealing to me, 

 he came and reported the said moonshi to be exceedingly 

 intrusive and impertinent, insisting upon an examination 

 of his bundles, and persevering therein in spite of his 



