TO CASHMEER AND LITTLE TIBET. 



573 



reason to believe, recommended him to seize our party and 

 property. The inhabitants of Gilghit are notorious slave- 

 dealers. My impression, however, vras a good deal conjec- 

 tural, as the conversation was carried on in the Dardoh lan- 

 guage, which none of our party understood. On the fourth 

 day the Rajah dismissed the Gilghit men, and we moved up 

 the Astore river to Gorekote, where we crossed it. There was 

 now a favourable change in his manner, and he yielded to 

 my urgent applications to be allowed to depart ; on the 20th 

 we separated, and I pursued my route up to the valley to 

 Bosthone. I have dwelt so much on this part of my journey 

 as having been the only occasion during my absence from 

 Hindostan in which I had any cause for anxiety. I may 

 mention that Jubbar Khan took a fancy to have a European 

 dress, and that in the interview before we parted he was 

 equipped from top to toe in a suit of my clothes. 



18. From Bosthone we continued to ascend the valley in 

 a SE. direction along the Astore river to Muenchah and 

 Durloh. The country is rich in natural capabilities for cul- 

 tivation, but entirely uninhabited, in consequence of long 

 protracted feuds between the Astore and Little Tibet Eajalis, 

 and frequent incursions from the side of Cashmeer. Among 

 other interesting plants, I found one of the Assafoetida-bearing 

 species of Ferula, growing in great abundance near Durloh. 

 Although rich in the gum resin, it is turned to no account 

 for the production of this valuable article. Great quantities 

 of the Prangos plant were also observed, but it was nowhere 

 collected for use. From Durloh we continued ascending by 

 the Kummeree valley to Ourle Surtey, and thence to Joojoo- 

 bassa, at the foot of the Kummeree Mountain, which we 

 crossed at an elevation of 13,080 feet above the sea, and 

 descended to the valley of the Kishen Gunga, where we got 

 at Zeean into the province of Cashmeer. From Zeean we 

 proceeded by Goress, and thence across the Kooeehamoo 

 Puntsal into Cashmeer, where I arrived on the 30th Septem- 

 ber. I made a detour round a portion of the western end of 

 the valley, and reached the city, preparatory to starting for 

 Hindostan, on the 10th October. On the 22nd I set out 

 upon my journey back by the main road through Rajouree 

 and Bimber. I crossed the Peerpungal mountain on the 

 26th, got to Eajouree on the 30th, and thence by Bimber,' 



' ' The hills between the Punjab and 

 Cashmeer surprised mo. In three 

 marches from the west of Peerpungal 

 you get out of the primary mountain 

 formations, and then for nearly five 

 marches you pass across the Sewalik 

 foiTuation. Further up, you have it as 



behind Nahun, and outwards as at Mo- 

 ginnund. I spent two days at Bimber 

 hunting for fossils, and came upon an 

 embedded mastodon's head, with a cart- 

 load of ivory, but I have only carried off 

 four or five sorted specimens. They are 

 well known to the Mussulman popula- 



