AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 283- 



of Sikarram. We could find neither cave nor trees 

 to lie under, so had to roll ourselves in our blankets 

 behind a large rock, and sleep through the cold night 

 as best we could, posting and warning the sentries 

 for the night. At early dawn we were all up, and 

 this morning managed to have coffee all round, 

 then started. With us were our hill-men from British 

 territory, carrying the survey instruments, &c. 

 Sultan, the shikari before mentioned, and five others. 

 We had first to descend 1000 feet down steep rocks 

 covered with frozen snow, then began our ascent. 

 Until the sun has been shining on the snow-fields 

 for some hours, the surface is frozen hard, and it is 

 difficult to keep the footing. We had preferred to 

 wear good strong English boots, with the armed sole 

 of which we could kick an impression on the snow 

 very often ; the others had wrapped the skins of the 

 sheep slaughtered for dinner en route in strips, with 

 the hair outwards, round their feet and ankles ; but 

 before long we had to take to cutting steps in the 

 hard snow, our only weapon for the purpose being 

 our Pathan knives. With these we had to chop, 

 chop, a few inches for each step for about 3000 feet; 

 then came a mile of level ground, one large field of 

 deep snow. Ahead of us stood Sikarram ; all round 

 us many of his sisters, almost as high as himself. 

 Through one of the gullies (cols) we looked down on 

 the snow-covered lake or tarn, about 300 yards square, 

 called the Haoza Khas, or clear tank, where the 



