1862.] Notes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley. 521 



should be crossed early in the day, as in the afternoon the melting 1 

 of the snow raises it to a dangerous height. I crossed on a pony 

 about 8 A. M., and the water was then up to the coolies' hips, and so 

 powerful the current that a single man could barely stem it ; the 

 plan adopted being for all to join hands and force their way over in 

 a body. A gentleman who crossed the day before had been separated 

 all night from his baggage, owing to the men delaying to cross with 

 him and being subsequently prevented following by the rapid rise of 

 the river as the day advanced ; — an unpleasant accident to happen 

 anywhere, but particularly unfortunate in such an inhospitable region 

 as Spiti. At the village of Tiling, three miles from Muth, noticed a 

 large number of Ibex horns, which I have nowhere else seen in the 

 valley, " burrel" horns being those commonly met with. Camping 

 ground on the opposite side of the stream from the village, opposite 

 which there is a wretched suspension bridge. 



2>lst, Balair, 1 3,225 ft.* — A mere halting-place, eight miles from 

 the crest of the Tari or Baba pass. Near Balair passed large flocks of 

 sheep and goats driven up here for pasturage, which is very luxuri- 

 ant. I purchased one very fine ram of the Hunia breed of sheep with 

 a fine pair of horns for four rupees. It was amusing to see how he 

 sent my men reeling like ninepins, when they attempted to separate 

 him from his fellows ; but when my sheep came up, he suffered him- 

 self to be led along with them easily enough. Notwithstanding his 

 size and fine horns, he proved to be little more than four years old, 

 if so much. As I only required his skull, I gave the body to the 

 coolies, who were more pleased than if I had given them a sheep 

 with greater pretensions to edibility. The blood was carefully col- 

 lected and cooked into a sort of pudding, but the headman first dipped 

 his fore finger into it whilst still reeking, and flipped a little into the 

 air and over the stones three or four times, muttering a short prayer 

 whilst doing so. This I presume was a sort of expiation, or lustra- 

 tion for the act of shedding blood, which is theoretically a crime 

 according to Buddhist notions. Among the loose rocks round the 

 camp, shot several specimens, with feet furred to the toes, of Lagomys 

 Boylei, Ogilvie. Though not rare here, I saw none south of the pass, 

 though the ground was very favorable for them ; and I conclude they 

 do not range south of the Spiti valley. In a stream crossed in this 

 march, collected many diatoms. 



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