CASHMERE. 335 



certainly a very awkward ford at the best of times. I 

 discovered some duck in a deep pool, and dropped one 

 wounded. The two little dogs gave chase, little Fan first 

 plunging into the deep water at which the usually forward 

 Sara hesitated. Away they went, and there was a grand 

 duck hunt. The bird, as the dogs neared it, dived, and 

 so crossed the width of the pool to my side, its course 

 discovered by the tell-tale bubbles, and there it took 

 refuge under the thick bushes fringing the bank. Now 

 in plunged the sporting syce, Euttoo, and was immediately 

 up to his neck. He peered under the bushes as I made 

 my way above, and we had gone their length without 

 retrieving the bird, when a violent hurry-scurry took 

 place forward, and the little dogs were full cry after their 

 poor, quacking, hobbling victim which was secured just 

 as it regained the brink of the water. There were a 

 good many black partridges about here, and many fine 

 fish seen basking. The Yarkandi lost a shoe, and 

 believing him to be lame I dismounted, but think the 

 cunning old fellow did it on purpose to humbug me as I 

 noticed that he went all right when I was off him. 

 Beaching the old Serai, I found a new baraduri erected 

 on a fine airy prominence over the river, a great con- 

 venience to travellers. A havildar and six sepoys turned 

 out in full fig to salute me, looking very clean and smart. 

 I had a long chat with the havildar, a very civil fellow : 

 he begged some powder as he is fond of shikar, and there 

 are pea-fowl, wild-duck, jungle-fowl, and partridge in the 

 neighbouring jungle. 



26th October. The havildar provided me with a 

 chuprassee who was to shew me a different and better 

 road than that I had come by. But, excepting about a 

 mile immediately on quitting the baraduri which lay by 

 the river-side, he took me by the old stony route, there 



