270 WANDERINGS OF A 



Europeans, but soon get accustomed to their new masters ; and 

 for their strength, endurance, and sure-footedness are well 

 adapted for alpine travelling. While crossing the Kara Ko- 

 rum mountains, whole caravans are sometimes overwhelmed 

 by snow-storms ; and I was told by Billah Shah, the chief 

 merchant of Leh, that in many places the route to Yarkund 

 is only traceable by the bones of horses. BUlah Shah was 

 exceedingly civil to us, and was much more popular than the 

 commandant of Gonlab Singh's fort in this neighbourhood, a 

 certain Bustee Kam, who had the repute of being very cruel 

 and tyrannical. We paid at the rate of three shillings per 

 pound for a cake of black or green brick-tea, which, although 

 mostly composed of leaf-stalks, was rich-flavoured. The tent 

 was pitched in a grove of poplars and willows called the 

 " town garden," where we were soon surrounded by all the 

 idlers of Leh, including a Yarkund fakir, dressed in a quilted 

 blanket and sugar-loaf hat of the same material This strange- 

 looking individual amused us dtiring dinner by dancing a sort 

 of jig, to which he kept time with a not unmusical song and 

 two rods covered with loose iron rings; the latter he beat 

 constantly against his padded shoulders, whilst the intervals 

 between each performance were occupied in earnest devotions, 

 the length of which depended on the alms he received. 



The sameness of the scenery began to get tiresome, for 

 the eye foimd no relief from one eternal repetition. This 

 continued day by day, soon produces depression rather than 

 exhilaration, more especially when there is no time to exa- 

 mine objects which, on closer acquaintance, would doubtless 

 prove both interesting and instructive. 



On the 20th of July we contiimed our journey in a 

 southerly direction, across the great valley and to the left 

 banks of the Indus, on which we kept for several miles. 



