Chamba into Kashmir 119 



foaming waterfalls ; on one of these plateaux of rock 

 a hut had been built, and the water guided by means 

 of a narrow cut along the floor of the hut, inside which 

 it turned a rude wheel and ground a little corn into 

 flour. The hut was also the dwelling-place of a 

 primitive family. They were much interested in us, 

 and produced a bowl of milk from their goats. Trees 

 and undergrowth half hid the bungalow, and were a 

 joy, after the bare nullahs, to look upon. 



Every day our march had been a finer one than the 

 last ; the higher we climbed, the more beautiful was 

 the scenery and the cooler it became. The stream 

 thundered in caves and hollows worn in the rock ; the 

 sun dropped early behind the overhanging mountains ; 

 it was a superbly peaceful evening. 



Two shikaris belonging to the Rajah met us at 

 Alwas, and after tea had a long consultation with 

 S. Asked where Jamouni lay, and where our camp 

 was really to be, the Jemadar invariably pointed up at 

 the snows far above our heads, and remarked, " Ooper " 

 (" above "). There was the prospect of a good deal ot 

 oopcr for the following morning. 



S. was up and away next day by four o'clock with 

 his rifle and the shikaris, hoping by making a detour 

 to come across a red bear, or snow bear as some 

 people call them. M. and I followed at six o'clock, 

 going up the most direct way. It was a climb, and 

 we took five hours to get up six miles. There was 

 no path of any sort or kind, and we simply clambered 

 up the face of the forest ; and since the coolies managed 



