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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC .MAGAZINE 



Photograph by William Jessop 



ADDING THE CHAIN-STITCH DECORATION TO WHITE EELT 



Felt, used comparatively little in the West, was made long before spinning or weaving 

 was invented. As skins marked the hunter period in history, so felt marked the pastoral 

 period. These heavy Kashmir embroideries are used as rugs as well as curtains, and most 

 of the sewing is done by men. 



on time. We always had to tie up along 

 the shore to have them served. 



We stretched ourselves by walking 

 along the path in front of the man, 

 woman, or child who happened to be 

 towing the boat. It is customary for the 

 boatman's family to live in the cook-boat 

 and to take turns in towing or poling. 



Never shall I forget the wonderful 

 sunset of that first evening out. It was 

 the Sabbath, and it seemed to us, as we 

 stood on the bank of the river, looking 

 up and down and across to the mountains 

 that shut us in, that an especial peace per- 

 vaded nature in the heart of this heathen 

 land. 



In the west, above the distant blue haze 

 of the mountains, spread a fiery glow, 

 which, as it extended upward, changed 

 through all the shades of rose and pink 

 to palest mauve at the zenith. In the east 

 the moon shone full over the nearer hills, 

 whose billowy tops caught wonderful 

 opalescent tints and whose hollows were 

 full of bluish shadows. Seen through a 

 purplish haze which softened the whole, 

 the picture was one which any impres- 



sionist would have given years of his life 

 to reproduce. 



At Bijbihara the two men left us to 

 walk the last four mile's to Kanbal, which 

 they could do faster than the boat could 

 go, to arrange for ponies for our trip 

 through the mountains. 



Unfortunately for us, our going was 

 coincident with the return of people from 

 the hill stations to Srinagar, and horses 

 were very hard to get. After consider- 

 able trouble, eight pack ponies and three 

 riding horses for the ladies were engaged, 

 but the men had to trust to luck to get 

 their own mounts at Eishmakam, our 

 next stopping place, 16 miles away. So 

 we slept the sleep of the just that night, 

 the last to be spent in our home on the 

 water for nearly a fortnight. 



The next morning we were up early, 

 sorting out what we wanted to take from 

 the boat, and setting our belongings out 

 on the river bank that all might be in 

 plain sight and each pony have its proper 

 load. 



There were bedding rolls and suit- 

 cases and bags with personal belongings, 



