342 A FEMALE CHIEF. 



fort ; the garrison consisted of about a. 

 hundred ill-dressed rascally-looking fellows, 

 and the place itself is of no great strength 

 or imjDortance. 



The following morning, we resumed our 

 journey towards Cashmere, and having passed 

 through one village, halted at Burgo, where 

 we were hospitably received and well treated 

 by a female chief She had lost her husband 

 twenty years ago, prior to the conquest of 

 these districts by the Sikhs. He was sent 

 for one morning by the Chinese authorities, 

 and either lost his head, or was imprisoned 

 for life in a cage : at least he never reappeared, 

 and was heard of no more. 



Our next day's march was through Kemis, 

 and we halted at a beautiful village beyond 

 it, where we were supplied with fruit and 

 vegetables. The village was placed in a 

 grove of mulberry -trees. On the 25th, the 

 Indus was crossed at Kalutzi. We passed 

 also, several considerable streams this day, 

 and the one by which our path lay, was so 

 charged with mud, that we searched in vain 



