346 THE SONA MEEG VALLEY. 



our arrival in Cashmere, and here we deter- 

 mined to await his return with the coolies 

 he was desired to bring with him. We were 

 encamped at the head of the Sona Merg 

 valley, where the shooting is good, there 

 being bears, and Hungul stags, in great 

 plenty. 



The view of this valley from the top of 

 the pass, is very beautiful, but a single 

 glance, put an end to my hope of sport in 

 Cashmere. There was too much vegetation. 

 In front of our camp, was a forest that 

 looked like a park in England, so varied and 

 interesting, that I could have stayed there 

 a month. A mountain stream runs through 

 the valley towards the River Jelum, and 

 another flows in the direction of Umurnath 

 and Palgham ; Wilson and I were anxious 

 to take the latter route to the city, leaving 

 the others to go down direct, but the people 

 all swore that there was no road, and 

 as our Tartars were gone, we could not 

 attempt it. 



For the next three days, we shot through 



