521 
18(32.] Notes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley. 
should be crossed early in the day, as in tlie afternoon the melting 
of the snow raises it to a dangerous height. I crossed on a pony 
about 8 a. M., and the water was then up to the coolies’ hips, and so 
powerful the current that a single man could barely stem it; the 
plan adopted being for all to join hands and force their way over in 
a body. A gentleman who crossed the day before had been separated 
all night from his baggage, owing to the men delaying to cross with 
him and being subsequently prevented following by the rapid rise of 
the river as the day advanced ;—an unpleasant accident to happen 
anywhere, but particularly unfortunate in such an inhospitable region 
as Spiti. At the village of Tiling, three miles from Muth, noticed a 
large number of Ibex horns, which I have nowhere else seen in the 
valley, “ burrel” horns being those commonly met with. Camping 
ground on the opposite side of the stream from the village, opposite 
which there is a wretched suspension bridge. 
Slsif, Balair , 13,225 ft. # —A mere halting-place, eight miles from 
the crest of the Tari or Baba pass. Near Balair passed large flocks of 
sheep and goats driven up here for pasturage, which is very luxuri¬ 
ant. I purchased one very fine ram of the Hunia breed of sheep with 
a fine pair of horns for four rupees. It was amusing to see how he 
sent my men reeling like ninepins, when they attempted to separate 
him from his fellows ; but when my sheep came up, he suffered him¬ 
self to be led along with them easily enough. Notwithstanding his 
size and fine horns, he proved to be little more than four years old, 
if so much. As I only required his skull, I gave the body to the 
coolies, who were more pleased than if I had given them a sheep 
with greater pretensions to edibility. The blood was carefully col¬ 
lected and cooked into a sort of pudding, but the headman first dipped 
his fore finger into it whilst still reeking, and flipped a little into the 
air and over the stones three or four times, muttering a short prayer 
whilst doing so. This I presume was a sort of expiation, or lustra¬ 
tion for the act of shedding blood, which is theoretically a crime 
according to Buddhist notions. Among the loose rocks round the 
camp, shot several specimens, with feet furred to the toes, of Lagomys 
Boylei, Ogilvie. Though not rare here, I saw none south of the pass, 
though the ground was very favorable for them ; and I conclude they 
do not range south of the Spiti valley. In a stream crossed in this 
march, collected many diatoms. 
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