176 WANDERINGS OF A 



CHAPTER X. 



Excursion to the Northern Pinjal — ^Ancient Temples — Earthquakes — Geology 

 — Bear and Deer Shooting — Adaptation of Sight to Long Distances — 

 Snow Pheasants — The Last of a Royal Line — The Isabella or Brown 

 Himalayan Bear — Shooting — Shikaree turns an ^Esthetic — Splendid 

 View — Scenery of the Valleys — Cashmere Stag — Large Deer in general 

 — Hunting Bears and Deer — Beauty and Grandeur of the Northern 

 Pinjal — Climate of the Ranges — Judging Distances-T-PUgam, its Neigh- 

 bourhood — Rapid Changes of Climate and Vegetation — European Water- 

 ousel — Flora and Fauna — Return to the Valley — Silkworm — Sylvan 

 Scenery — Birds — Ruins of Mai-tund Islamabad — Atsibul and its Beauties 

 — European Plants — Southern Pinjal — Native Misery — Scenery — The 

 Red Weasel — Ringdove — Thunderstorm. 



We left Serinuggur on the 14th of April for the purpose of 

 exploring the valleys and ranges on the north side, and hunt- 

 ing large game. Our party was now increased by the addition 

 of our friend Captain Halkett, who had preceded us to Cash- 

 mere. We tracked up the river to the village of Pampur, 

 celebrated for the superior quality of its saffron. The banks 

 of the Jhelum were fringed with willows, walnut, and chunars. 

 These and the long-withdrawing meadows looked beautiful 

 exceedingly. We visited the pretty little temple at Pandre- 

 ton — another of the ancient Hindoo ruins similar to those 

 seen between Uri and Noushera. It is situated in a pond ; 

 the building is a square chapel, with "trefoil arches," and 

 made of the neighbouring mountain limestone. There is a 

 gigantic sitting figure cut in the same rock on the hill-side, 



