286 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT. 



greybeard, was one of Mohammed's disciples who 

 had shown his devotion to the Prophet by knocking 

 out all his own teeth when the Prophet had one 

 knocked out by a stone in the battle in the Vale of 

 Beder. On Mohammed's death his garment was 

 tried on by all the worthies standing round, but 

 his " mantle " fitted none but Si Karrarn (it was 

 useless one remarking that this same tale was told 

 of some other disciples). After the Prophet's death 

 Si Kirram wandered eastwards preaching, and being 

 driven here for refuge, or coming here like Elijah to 

 the top of Horeb, he was martyred. There are other 

 reasons also given for the name, but this suits best. 



Our descent was long and tedious, owing to the 

 snow now being wet and soft ; but before dark we 

 were down to our night's resting-place. Two days 

 after, we were not a little pleased to find ourselves 

 again safe in camp. A month later much of the 

 ground covered with snow in May would have been 

 clear, and by August flocks and herds graze within a 

 mile of Si Karram's shrine. We nowhere saw any 

 glaciers ; and of living things, only the distant cry of 

 the snow-pheasant was heard, and we sometimes saw 

 the footmarks of ibex and bears, but not the animals. 

 Game is wonderfully scarce the hill-slopes and forests 

 tenantless except during the hotter months, when the 

 sheep and cattle graze on the abundant grass. 



A very small strip of the country between Ganda- 

 muk and the Khyber alone remained unsurveyed, and 



