PRELIMINARIES 15 



After an hour's rest, and breakfast, we 

 continued on a similar course, but through 

 a wider and safer valley ; but it was 

 laborious work, for the snow was getting 

 softer and softer under the influence of a 

 fierce sun ; and we were sinking in well 

 above our knees at every step. 



At about noon we had another halt for 

 food and a smoke ; and while resting we 

 surveyed the hill opposite through the 

 telescope and glasses, and saw, about two 

 miles off, what we made out to be a very 

 fine ibex, which we determined to leave till 

 next day, and we pursued our way. The 

 character of the country gradually altered 

 as we got lower ; the hill-sides were first 

 scattered with a few odd trees, looking 

 lonely and neglected as they stood in 

 sheltered nooks among the snow ; then 

 they were dotted here and there with 

 clumps of leafless birch and dark deodars ; 

 and, finally, striped with long patches of 

 trees, lying like shadows in the shelter of 

 some cliff, or crowning some less exposed 



