502 Journal of a trip through Kunatvur, fyc. [No. 101. 



on his merchandise also, he would be enabled, should competition be 

 feared from the present traders, to afford to take the wool at a higher 

 rate than they can afford to do, and thus he could effectually drive 

 them from the market, and establish a monopoly. 



The experiment is at all events worthy of another trial, since the 

 former failure is entirely to be attributed to the inexperience of the 

 agent, and the rascality of the traders who supplied him. 



On the following morning, having left behind me four people to 

 receive supplies, I marched on towards Leedung, crossing the Lingtee 

 river not far from Dunkur. A walk of about seven miles brought 

 us to a miserable village of a few huts, which the guide told me 

 was Leedung, so we halted for the night. After my tent was pitched, 

 and the people had eaten their dinners, we all proceeded in search 

 of fossils in the ravines and water-courses which came down from the 

 heights along the river's bank. Here, however, nothing worth the 

 trouble was found, but as I was searching at some distance from 

 the rest of the party, a lad, whom I recognised as having been with the 

 Dunkur commandant, came cautiously towards me, making signs that 

 there was nothing to be had below, and then pointing to the palm 

 of his hand, and looking towards the summit of the range of hills be- 

 hind his village, he gave me to understand that for a reward he would 

 lead me up the pass, where I should find something worth having. 

 To this I readily agreed, and at once gave him a small red necklace to 

 make the compact binding. He then in broken Hindostanee, and by 

 signs, told me that I must keep to myself his having given this infor- 

 mation, as the killadar had given orders that no one should show 

 me the path up the heights. I afterwards discovered that he was an 

 arrant cheat, and had taken me in with his story, as the killadar only 

 alluded to the passes into Ladak ; however I of course promised silence, 

 and when he had pointed out the road, we parted, and I returned 

 to my tent, when I gave orders to the coolies to be ready to accom- 

 pany me up the heights the next morning. 



About a quarter of a mile from Leedung is another small vil- 

 lage called Larra. In speaking of either place the Tartars invariably 

 apply the names of both, as Larra-Leedung. This custom is not 

 however peculiar to Spiti, but prevails also in Kunawur when two 

 villages are near each other ; thus in Spiti we find Larra-Leedung and 

 Chism-Keburr to be applied to the villages of Larra and Lee-. 



