1862.] Notes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley . 517 
lake and crosses a small ridge jutting down to the water just before 
reaching Korzo. The village is a wretchedly small one, situated on 
the opposite side of a small feeder of the lake, on a bare rocky 
eminence; yet from the square castellated form of the houses, with 
mere slits for windows, and their quaint ornamentation by poles 
with streamers and bundles of yaks’ hair at the end, it presents 
rather a picturesque appearance. On my arrival I was waited on by 
the headman bringing a “ nuzzar’’ of dried apricots. He was smartly 
dressed according to Tibetan ideas, and had on a pair of veritable 
Chinese boots with thick soles and tops of handsome embroidered 
silk, of which he seemed proud ; indeed Chinese articles are esteemed 
here much as Paris goods are in London. 
A Kashmiri Mahomedan of a very Jewish cast of countenance 
acted as interpreter, though not very fluently, and I soon found that 
provisions were very scarce and dear. The day was remarkably fine, 
quite a contrast to the weather of the last few days, and I should 
have been glad to have, devoted a fortnight to the examination of the 
neighbourhood of the lake, but the great difficulty of procuring sup¬ 
plies and the appearance of the mountains, which during the last 
few days had become sheeted with snow far and wide, coupled with 
a warning I received that in so severe a season as the present has 
been the Parang Pass might any day become closed lor laden 
coolies, determined me to hasten my departure back again towards 
Spiti, and accordingly I gave orders for returning on the following day. 
It now appeared that no fresh coolies were procurable, as the few 
available men of the village had been carried off by some other tra¬ 
vellers ; but the headman said the coolies whom I had brought with 
me, would gladly act again on my return ; this, however, I found they 
stoutly refused to do, and they began preparing to move soon after 
being informed what was expected of them. In the afternoon word 
was brought that the Spiti coolies were moving off with their goats, 
and the headman, perceiving the urgent necessity of “ taking action” 
in the matter, (though I warrant he never heard of father Daly’s 
tactics or the Galway contract), sallied forth with some followers, 
and, aided by my Simla coolies, captured and brought back the run¬ 
aways. Hereupon the most tremendous uproar ensued, the Spiti 
coolies stoutly declaring that they would not lay a finger on the 
baggage, and my men insisting in equally loud tones that they must 
