Kashmir 151 



The climate is one of Kashmir's attractions, for 

 it has not the periodical <c rains" of India. The 

 south-west monsoon is shut off by the Pir Panjal 

 range, and rain falls irregularly, chiefly in the spring. 

 Snow hardly falls at all in the valley, and it is never 

 insufferably hot. 



The dak bungalow at Baramoula was close to the 

 river ; it reminded us of Henley a great, placid 

 expanse of water. From Kohala to Baramoula the 

 Jhelum is an unnavigable torrent green waves 

 flecked with foam tumble among boulders and sweep 

 in rapids between high gorges ; but above Baramoula 

 its character changes, and on the eighty miles of 

 river in the flat valley there is much boat traffic. 



We were beset by natives at every turn, owners of 

 house-boats, anxious to take us up to Srinagar. The 

 river bank was lined with these kishties some smart, 

 big boats, and some of an inferior native pattern. 

 The owners, the kishty -wallers, were the greatest curse 

 imaginable. No doubt it is delightful enough to 

 live in a house-boat on the Jhelum, paddled silently 

 along, loafing all over the Vale of Kashmir, into its 

 beautiful lakes 'and up the smaller rivers ; but we 

 turned away at present from dolce far niente towards 

 the higher valleys and the mountains. Reason was 

 a thing which the kishty -wallers could not see, and 

 they pestered and followed us to such an extent that 

 we were at last driven to pelting them with stones 

 from the river bank, which had an excellent effect. 



The next morning S. and I rode off" on the ponies, 



