THE JOURNEY INTO KASHMIR 129 



across ; and glad enough we were to rest by the open 

 fire and watch the coolies appear from far down the 

 valley, like a long column of ants in the snow. 



Four of the men each carried a great load of rice- 

 straw, and on rising before sunrise on the following 

 morning its use was discovered. It is first plaited 

 into rope and then formed into a sort of sandal called 

 a "grass-shoe," and always used for snow -walking 

 in Kashmir. They are worn over two socks, one of 

 puttoo, the other padded, each having the big toe 

 divided, as in a mitten, for the straw rope which 

 binds on the shoe to pass through ; and they are 

 unequalled for warmth and comfort, besides which 

 they do not slip. Our coolies weaved the shoes while 

 resting en route, and as one pair lasts but a day or 

 less, a great amount of the straw has to be carried. 

 Above the sock woollen putties are wound around 

 the leg to the knee, effectually keeping out the 

 snow. 



Baltal, directly beneath the Zogi La Pass, we 

 reached after a march of ten miles, the trail all 

 across snow or mud where the snow was melting, 

 colored glasses being most necessary to protect the 

 eyes from the glare. There was no village at Baltal 

 only a low windowless hovel called a ' ' rest-house. ' ' 

 This was ironical, for it was hardly fit to house cattle 

 in, although they had recently been inhabiting the 



