4p A JOURNEY TO LAKE 



July 6th.— Thermometer at fun-rife 46 ; I had caufed the pundit 

 and Amer Singh to enquire for wool, in order to purchafe a quantity 

 and forward it to Nili, and have this day ihs mortification to find, 

 that the people dare not fell any until we (hall have r^c ived prr- 

 miffion to buy from GhtHope. This is caufed by ftri£ injunctions 

 to all the owners of flocks not to fell any fhawl wool except to the 

 Cafhmirians or their agents, in confequence of a reprefentation having 

 been made to the Government^ that the Jouaree merchants had be^ught 

 fome lad year, and that the Cafnmirians would fufler, if any of this 

 kind of wool were to pafs into other hands. 



During the period that the UndJs was governed by Rajas of the 

 Rdjepui caft of Surajbans, and fubfequently that it paifed under the do- 

 minion of the Chinefe, the independent Tatars of Ladak were extremely 

 troublefome to the inhabitants by their frequent inroads, and only ceaf- 

 ed their depredations in confequence of this country being given in 

 Jag'ir to the Dela Lama. The facrednefs of this perfonage, who is the 

 head of the religion of the Tatars, caufed them to defift from their in- 

 cursions, and probably, would have the fame influence in the event of 

 any alteration in the current of trade: but to this, it is likely, that they 

 would make great refiftance e 



July 7th.— -Thermometer 42 ; The Wazir made us a vi fit and ftaid 



'nearly an hour. I obferve, that the prieflhood and the immediate officers 



of Government are ineafy circuraftances, as alfo are the goatherds, but 



the reft of the population are plunged in the mail"" abject 'poverty and 



• literally clothed in rags, 



July 8th.— Thermometer 46 , at noon in a tent 73 . We have 

 heard, that an anfweris arrived from Ghertofte. In the evening, I went 



