484 
MOULLAH OF TOKTA. 
our quarters, with carpets and nummuds spread on the floor, 
and an excellent fire to thaw our frozen garments. A plentiful 
breakfast was then brought, of the best the village afforded ; 
and I doubt that either ourselves or animals ever relished repasts 
with more grateful appetites. As the morning advanced, the 
weather increased in severity, and I thought it well for the 
whole party to continue in our present good quarters till the 
following day. This village is distant from Yeltomar about five 
miles. Our journey of the day and night before, was not less 
than fifteen hours, in which we completed thirty-four miles ; a 
terrible stretch for horses without refreshment, and over so 
arduous a road : hence I was not sorry to rest them at Tokta. 
The storm, which tore along the hills for the whole day after 
our halting, filled the air with a continued sweep of sleet and 
snow. Had we been out in it, during the late foundered state of 
our cattle, the probabilities are we should all have been buried 
alive in some of the trackless ravines. The sight of its fury, 
and aware how every succeeding fall of the sort would tend to 
shut up the mountains, made me, however, congratulate myself 
on not having complied with our mehmandar, and awaited such 
a commencement, on the other side of the Kourtak. To have 
passed that immense mountain after so decided an earnest of 
winter, might have been hardly practicable. 
December 18th. — This morning proved more favourable; 
and being all recruited in strength and spirits, I prepared to 
depart. My good Samaritan host would not receive any remu¬ 
neration for his abundant hospitality, but a little ointment for 
his eyes, which 1 presented him from my travelling medicine 
chest. We then took our leave with repeated acknowledgments 
of gratitude, and at ten o’clock re-commenced our march. Our 
