Kashmir 161 



rub against the tent-ropes and munch a little, the 

 sheep and goats on the hills change their ground. 

 Nature rouses up, turns over, and falls asleep again. 

 And you yourself sleep, until you wake to find a 

 wan light breaking over everything, and a shivering 

 breeze stirring the grey grass dawn ! Dawn, and 

 a cold freshness everywhere and dew on everything ! 



We decided to spend a day in going over the 

 Zoji La Pass, which is some miles beyond Sonamerg ; 

 and on the following morning, making an early start, 

 rode up the valley, past the picturesque little native 

 village of Sonamerg, following the banks of the 

 Sind River, cantering over the soft turf. We crossed 

 the river continually by the well-known Kashmir 

 bridges, which are only a few feet wide, with no 

 hand-rails, and generally full of holes. Rope-bridges 

 are largely used ; but when anything is wanted strong 

 enough for a mule, the Kashmiris have built from 

 time immemorial on the cantilever system that is 

 to say, in their rough and narrow bridges of a singk 

 span the supporting timbers project one over another 

 from the bank, their shore ends being weighted down 

 with masonry. They are of great antiquity, and 

 are said to have suggested the Forth Bridge. 



A certain amount of mystery and reverence sur- 

 rounds the name alone Zoji La ; though only 1 1,500 

 feet high, it has a bad reputation for icy gales and 

 sudden snowstorms. Last winter this treacherous 

 pass was responsible for three hundred mules and 

 drivers, who were overtaken and perished in the 



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