202 Journal of a trip through Kulu and Ldhul, $-c. [March, 



his right hand. The horns and ears are removed and all the orifices 

 are carefully sewn up, with the exception of one leg, which is left open 

 for inflating the skin, and when in use, is secured with a piece of string 

 or a leather thong. When crossing upon a single skin the passenger 

 generally sits across the back of the paddler, or kneels upon the skin 

 to keep his feet dry, whilst he holds on by the legs of the skin. A 

 preferable mode of crossing is by two skins with a charpai, or bed- 

 stead fastened upon them, on which the passenger sits safe from all 

 mishaps, unless the waves should be high, when there is the certainty 

 of being well wet with spray, and the chance of the skins being separat- 

 ed. As it rained heavily and the road was dangerously slippery, we 

 halted at Chatwali-ki-heti, distance only 5 miles. 



Sunday, 9 th August. Marched again through heavy rain to Kumar- 

 ki-heti, distance 6 miles. Baron Hugel spells this name Kumagaheti, 

 and states that gaheti means a serai or lodging. This is a gross mis- 

 take, which might be pardonable in the traveller, but which cannot be 

 passed over in the translator. Ga } ka or da, is the sign of the geni- 

 tive case thoughout the Punjab, and heti means a shop. Kumar-ki- 

 heti, or Kumar-ga-heti is therefore the shop of Kumar. Some of these 

 hetis are single shops on the road-side, and they take their appellations 

 from any local peculiarities of situation as well as from the names of 

 the Banyas or grain-sellers who build them : thus Bur-ki-heti is the 

 "shop under the Banian-tree," Ghati-ki-heti, is the "shop on the 

 ghat," &c. &c. 



Monday, \Qth August. To Ghori Matoli, 8 miles. 



Tuesday, Wth August. To the Sikunder ki dhar, 6 miles. 



Wednesday, \2th August. To Mundi, 16 miles, over the Pass. On 

 the previous night we slept at the village of Barla, not far from the 

 top of the Pass ; this morning we found the height of the Pass to be 

 5,430 feet above the sea. As the Sikunder-ki-dhar had attracted the 

 attention both ofMoorcroft and of Vigne, we made inquiries on the spot 

 from the people of the country who were with us, in order to ascertain 

 what foundation there was for Vigne's identification of this spot as the 

 locality of the altars of Alexander. His words are — " no place could 

 possibly have been chosen which would have been better adapted for 

 the altars. Being by the side of the highway it became impossible for 



