168 WAJSDEKINGS OF A 



less mouatains, bare or covered mth grass. Nearly half- 

 way between Uri and Noushera, in a wild-looking jungle, 

 surrounded by pine, and nearly overgrown with rank vegeta- 

 tion and weeds, are the remains of one of the ancient Cashmere 

 temples. It is built of the green basalt of the Peer Pinjal 

 range. Like the generality of the old ruined temples in the 

 valley, its architecture is said to be Gothic, with gables having 

 "pediments of high pitch and trefoil arches," the whole de- 

 cidedly of Hindoo character, in imitation of the later Eoraan 

 buildings. This would assign them a period beginning with 

 the Parthian conquest of Syria, between 250 B.C. and 850 

 A.D.* There is another within a few miles of Noushera, if 

 anything more perfect, and built of granite. Many of the 

 cedars have been cut down and floated to the plains of the 

 Punjaub. One feels sorry at witnessing the fall of a majestic 

 tree, whose growth has extended perhaps over half-a-dozen 

 centuries ; and never did I feel that to a greater extent than 

 on my return from Cashmere, where some of the noblest mon- 

 archs of the Uri glen were lying prostrate on the river's bank. 

 Before Goulab Singh discovered the value of his cedar-forests, 

 it was customary for the charcoal-burners to set fire to the 

 trunks, and hollow out large caverns, which generally ended 

 in the death of. the tree and waste of much valuable wood. 

 During this day's journey, we often met gangs of pilgrims 

 proceeding to or from the sacred shrines in Cashmere. "We 

 came on a group of gipsy-looking men and women, who in- 

 formed us they had been travelling constantly for six months 

 from Agmeer, in Central India, and were on their way to the 

 shrine of Umemath, among the Northern Cashmere ranges. 

 A few of the young women were exceedingly beautiful, and 

 * " Essay on the Hindu History of Kashmir." — Trans, of Asiatic Society, 

 vol. XV. by H. H. Wilson, A.M., Professor of Sanscrit in the University of 

 Oxford. 



