THE KILIAN PASS. 33 



left Shahidula for Sanju Kurgaon. We had 

 rather a disturbed night at the ford owing to 

 rain and storm. Dauvergne's tent was nearly 

 knocked over by a stray pony, who imagined he 

 could get in by the back-door, and tried to do so, 

 thinking, no doubt, it was more comfortable to 

 be inside than out. Caravan-ponies have a great 

 fancy for pottering about tents, and stumbling 

 over the ropes. 



At Sanju Kurgaon there is an old frontier fort, 

 now in ruins. Here the Kilian and Sanju roads 

 bifurcate. The Sanju road was formerly open to 

 caravans ; but the Chinese, for some reason of 

 their own, have closed it, which is a pity, being 

 by all accounts a better road than the Kilian. 



As we continued our way the road grew very 

 steep, winding up the side of the gorge towards 

 the Kilian Pass, the ponies going slowly, being 

 very short of wind. Our camping - ground on 

 the side of the mountain was very indifferent, 

 and we had to keep the ponies tied head and 

 tail all night to prevent them wandering back 

 the way they came. 



The pass itself was very easy, no snow to 

 speak of, although over 1 7,000 feet. Descending 

 the gorge for ten miles, we came on a nice bit of 



c 



