BAD ROADS. 67 



to clo likewise, but he put it off till the next camp. 

 We had only got a mile out when we were 

 stopped at the house of the Shan Beggi, who 

 insisted on our partaking of a dusterkhan similar 

 to yesterday's, sheep and all. 



From being fairly good at first, the road as we 

 went along the valley grew narrower, and we had 

 to ford the river at every bend, which was hard 

 on the ponies, and I regretted we had not the 

 yaks to relieve them. At the camping-ground 

 Barat said he would now make arrangements for 

 some, and as in the course of the afternoon a few 

 did turn up, I thought the bargain was con- 

 cluded. No yaks were to be seen in the morn- 

 ing, and on asking where they where, Barat ex- 

 plained the terms were too exorbitant, and he 

 would get them during the day, or at the next 

 camp. I was very angry, and gave him a bit of 

 my mind, but there was nothing to be done but 

 load the ponies and make the best of them. 



It was terribly bad going, having to cross the 

 river times innumerable, the fords getting worse 

 and worse, the bottom being composed of large 

 boulders, over which the ponies had to struggle, 

 and frequently came down. The valley got 

 wilder as we proceeded, and the hill-tops opened 



