OF THE RIVER SETLEJ. 403 



their own ware and indicating with the hand, how much of their opponents 

 they consider as its price ; it is curious enough to see this pantomime. 

 With but little assistance from language, this multitude of people adjust 

 their bargains with wonderful rapidity ; the several loads disappear as 

 quick as they arrive, transferred to new hands, so that there is a continued 

 succession of arrivals, and a vivacity and bustle are communicated to the 

 scene that render it highly amusing. The total number of people assem- 

 bled could have hardly exceeded 3000; of these the Tartars and Kanaweris 

 brought wool and pashm ; the latter also woollen fabrics for barter, Sank- 

 lath, Pankhis, Diiris, &c. also raisins and neozas (seed of a pine) and 

 some of them and of the Tartars, Pashminas from Ladak, a coarse kind of 

 shawl, which costs from eight to forty rupees according to its quality. The 

 lower mountaineers bring grain, iron, spices, cloth, sugar, and other articles; 

 a number of people from Kullu (a mountain state, separated from Bissahir 

 by the river) also visit this fair. They cross some by the tar or bridge of a 

 single rope (which is here ninety yards in length,) and some on distended 

 skins which would appear to be both a safe and expeditious manner of 

 crossing a river that has not too great a fall. 



On the 15th we marched for Nirt ; the route lay little above the level of 

 the river and the increasing temperature gave us a sensible proof, how 

 great our descent had been from Seran ; the path is generally tolerable 

 and the river appears to flow with a placid current and is little obstructed 

 by rocks. The JNaugri river, a considerable stream, joins the Setlej about 

 half-way ; it has its source in the falling off of the inner range of the Hima- 

 laya which divides the river vallies of the Setlej and Paber. We crossed 

 it on a sanga seventy-two feet long and twenty-two feet above the water, 

 rather narrow and springy : a good deal of flat or table land is seen a little 

 farther on near Dattanger, and a substantial village on the opposite side 

 of the river called Nirmunda. Nirt is a small hamlet situated about a hun- 

 dred feet above the river bed. 



Yy2 



