296 WAJSDEEINGS OF A 



habits, mean, cowardly, shabby, irresolute, and indifferent to 

 aU ideas of reform or progress ; so much so, that I verily believe 

 it would now take a century of the most liberal government to 

 bring them on a par with their neighbours, for among all the 

 advantages possessed by a land overflowing with mUk and 

 honey, the Cashmerians are about the least enterprising of 

 Oriental races. With the Sikhs they have nothing in com- 

 mon, and as to personal bravery and warlike character they 

 never had any pretensions, but, on the contrary, their defi- 

 ciencies in these respects have long since passed into a pro- 

 verb. It is vain, however, to hope that there can be any pro- 

 gress under the present ruler, who, like his father, is bent on 

 self-aggrandisement, and that of the worst description j so 

 much so, that were it not for the natural beauties of Cashmere 

 the land would have long since been turned into a wildemess. 

 Whether to ascribe the above defects in the Cashmerian 

 character to long and continued oppression, to themselves, or, 

 as some have supposed, to their moist, enervating climate, 

 one thing is certain, that as long as the present system of 

 government continues, so long will this unfortunate people re- 

 trograde, for advance they cannot. The grain in Wurdwun 

 valley was still green, although we had seen the barley reaped 

 and thrashed at Kargil only four days before. The rigor 

 of the seasons is always most severely felt in secluded valleys, 

 as the snow lies long, and, coupled with the constant clouds 

 and rain of the monsoon months, makes the climate, especially 

 that of Wurdwun, most disagreeeable, at least until August. 



After several tedious delays, we left Sochness in a pelting 

 rain, but only too glad to get away from the filthy log- 

 house, where we had spent two days among the poultry and 

 such a collection of vermin as we had never before witnessed. 

 Being anxious to reach the Duchinpara by the nearest route, 



