i5 8 A Sportswoman in India 



bought from any village at twopence or fourpence 

 each. Our cook made us chupattis of Indian corn, 

 which were not bad hot ; Mary proved to be quite 

 a laundress : altogether our staff might have been 

 worse ; Lalla was chief counsellor and guide, and 

 was very anxious to be off shooting. 



As we neared the top of the valley the scenery 

 grew more grand, and our last day's ride was one 

 series of glories and surprises, wild, fantastic views 

 opening up continually. A steady ascent among rocks 

 and pines led us to a narrow gorge ridges of grey 

 crags towering above each other in similar construction 

 on either side, deodars growing from every crevice in 

 the walls, range above range dark with pines and 

 topped with threatening peaks of everlasting snow. 



Our camp that night was at Sonamerg, once a 

 great summer resort for English people, but now 

 deserted in favour of Gulmerg. No longer a 

 narrow gorge, the Sind Valley suddenly opens out 

 into broad, rolling meadows enclosed by mountains 

 of grand outline. Sonamerg means Golden Meadow ; 

 and in the spring yellow crocuses thickly stud the 

 pasture. Rivulets pour down from the surrounding 

 snows and keep the broad merg green and fresh 

 through the summer heat, and knee-deep in grass 

 and flowers. 



We had for days been gradually ascending, and 

 were now 8,650 feet above sea-level, which is, I 

 suppose, the pleasantest midsummer elevation in 

 Kashmir, The air was soft, the vegetation luxuriant ; 



