1862.] Notes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley. 517 



lake and crosses a small ridge jutting down to the water just before 

 reaching Korzo. The village is a wretchedly small one, situated on 

 the opposite side of a small feeder of the lake, on a bare rocky 

 eminence ; yet from the square castellated form of the houses, with 

 mere slits for windows, and their quaint ornamentation by poles 

 with streamers and bunches of yaks' hair at the end, it presents 

 rather a picturesque appearance. On my arrival I was waited on by 

 the headman bringing a " nuzzar'' of dried apricots. He was smartly 

 dressed according to Tibetan ideas, and had on a pair of veritable 

 Chinese boots with thick soles and tops of handsome embroidered 

 silk, of which he seemed proud ; indeed Chinese articles are esteemed 

 here much as Paris goods are in London. 



A Kashmiri Mahomedan of a very Jewish cast of countenance 

 acted as interpreter, though not very fluently, and I soon found that 

 provisions were very scarce and dear. The day was remarkably fine, 

 quite a contrast to the weather of the last few days, and I should 

 have been glad to have devoted a fortnight to the examination of the 

 neighbourhood of the lake, but the great difficulty of procuring sup- 

 plies and the appearance of the mountains, which during the last 

 few days had become sheeted with snow far and wide, coupled with 

 a warning I received that in so severe a season as the present has 

 been the Parang Pass might any day become closed for laden 

 coolies, determined me to hasten my departure back again towards 

 Spiti, and accordingly I gave orders for returning on the following day. 

 It now appeared that no fresh coolies were procurable, as the few 

 available men of the village had been carried off by some other tra- 

 vellers ; but the headman said the coolies whom I had brought with 

 me, would gladly act again on my return ; this, however, I found they 

 stoutly refused to do, and they began preparing to move soon after 

 being informed what was expected of them. In the afternoon word 

 was brought that the Spiti coolies were moving off with their goats, 

 and the headman, perceiving the urgent necessity of " taking action" 

 in the matter, (though I warrant he never heard of father Daly's 

 tactics or the Gralway contract), sallied forth with some followers, 

 and, aided by my Simla coolies, captured and brought back the run- 

 aways. Hereupon the most tremendous uproar ensued, the Spiti 

 coolies stoutly declaring that they would not lay a finger on the 

 baggage, and my men insisting in equally loud tones that they must 



