NATUKALIST IN INDIA. 297 



we struck up a steep hill in a northerly direction, behind 

 Sochness, and passed over several beds of snow. When near 

 the top of the ridge rain fell in such torrents, and the clouds 

 became so dense, that we were obliged to encamp on the 

 nearest bare spot, where, with our servants and eight coolies, 

 all huddled together on the floor of the little tent, we braved 

 the pitiless storm for the remainder of that and the whole of 

 the succeeding day. The coolies were most averse to proceed 

 any farther ; indeed it was with great difficulty they had been 

 procured, and had not a sharp look-out been kept by our 

 servants we would have been left on the hDl-top without the 

 means of transport ; as it was, two or three deserted, and had 

 to be replaced by sending all the way to Sochness for others. 

 They feared the weather, and dreaded being storm-bound 

 on the summit of the pass ; so that, on the following day, when 

 the last portion of the ascent was being made, several flung 

 down their loads and would not proceed. Moreover, it was 

 only with the greatest persuasion we could get the remainder 

 to continue the journey. Matters looked desperate, but we 

 had no alternative but to push on to the nearest village, and 

 despatch a servant to Sochness once more. The summit of the 

 ridge is 13,000 feet above the level of the sea, and forms one 

 of the highest practicable passes of the Northern Pinja]. 

 From the top we looked down the opposite side on a field of 

 snow, ending in verdant mountain-sides, which in their turn 

 gave place to the woods and forests of the Duchinpara and its 

 offshoots. In a gorge near the top is seen the pretty little 

 lake Sonsernag, from whence gushes a small stream which 

 falls into the Lidur a short way farther down. In bare 

 stony places in and around the snow I saw several wrens 

 {Troglodytes himcdayanus), a species closely allied to the 

 famUiar European bird, from which it differs in scarcely any 



