THE JOURNEY INTO KASHMIR 113 



was already a good deal of weight to our outfit, with- 

 out counting the extra provisions and thick clothes 

 which we were to pick up in Srinagar, about 

 twelve maunds or a thousand pounds, comprising 

 four large boxes of provisions, tents, camp and 

 kitchen utensils, guns, ammunition, and clothes. 

 All our finer provisions, such as tea, coffee, tinned 

 fruits, jams, etc., had been brought from Calcutta; 

 for, excellent as are the Kashmiri merchants for 

 fitting out sportsmen, we did not like to run risks 

 as to the quality of things so precious. Four ekkas 

 were therefore required to convey our luggage. 



The distance from Rawal Pindi to Srinagar is one 

 hundred and ninety-eight miles. By tonga this is 

 accomplished, as I have said, in three days; the 

 wagons are driven at a furious rate of speed by pairs 

 of horses which are changed approximately every 

 ten miles, the system of harnessing being so arranged 

 that the change is effected almost instantaneously ; 

 and with a delay of but a few seconds at the end of 

 each stage one is off again, dashing helter-skelter 

 up the splendid post-road that leads through the 

 mountains into Kashmir. The driving is very fa- 

 tiguing, for the tonga, which in point of thorough 

 discomfort surpasses all other vehicles, seems to be 

 utterly devoid of springs or apologies for springs; 

 and what with the continual bumping over the 



