OF THE RIVER SETLEJ. 305 



journey. This road however is not so good as that by Skalkar and Lari, 

 which is a journey of eighteen days. 



We were a little dismayed in the morning, by the appearance of a ser- 

 vant reporting that it had been snowing heavily all night, and had not yet 

 cleared up. On looking about us we found it was but too true, and that 

 the snow lay about half a cubit deep all round our tents, while the sur- 

 rounding ridges and peaks had all exchanged their hue of green for the 

 more dazzling, though not so pleasing - , livery of winter. This was quite an 

 unexpected event to us, though the probability of it had been frequently 

 foretold, but we always attributed their introduction of such topics to their 

 anxiety to see us fairly returning. We Mere a good deal perplexed, not 

 knowing when it might clear up, particularly as we found there was no low 

 road to Kanam by which the danger of travelling over new snow, should 

 there be a heavy fall, could be avoided. Most fortunately it cleared up 

 about ten o'clock, and the sun then breaking out, soon caused what had 

 fallen to disappear, except on the highest ridges. The thermometer was 

 at 31" during the fall. We immediately determined on taking advantage 

 of this turn in our favour, however distant the probability of reaching Ka- 

 nam by night fall. The great object, now the winter had evidently set in, 

 was to get beyond the high ridge separating these two villages, after which 

 we should have no very high ground to traverse, and should consequently 

 be more independent of changes in the weather. 



The path leads down the Xluslikalang for four miles, an easy descent 

 and generally good, it then crosses the river on a sanga, thirty- three feet 

 long and twenty-five above the stream. The ascent of the pass commences 

 immediately from the bridge, and continues most steep to the summit, a dis- 

 tance of three miles. We found a few patches of snow near the summit, 

 soft, but of no depth. The thermometer was 32° and it had begun to snow 

 lightly during the last few hundred paces ; however, we had the satisfac- 



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