Nothing Could Exceed The Beauty Of The View As We Approached Our
Intended Halting-Place.
Having crossed the torrent by a wooden bridge,
the mountains we had been winding through showed out in all their
grandeur, while above us, inaccesible peaks, with sharp and fanciful
projections, nestled their mighty heads among the fleecy clouds, which
hung about after the recent rains.
In advance again, other mountain
ranges rose behind each other, clothed on their southern faces with
delicate grass up to the point where the snow lay lightly on their
rocky top-knots and hid itself among the clouds. From the bridge,
a rustic structure of entire pine-trees, we passed through an upper
valley carpeted with the brightest soft green pasturage, until we
reached the usual little cluster of dilapidated wooden tenements
which constitute a village in these mountains. This was Soonamurg,
and crossing another bridge, formed of two single giant pines, we
came to a halt and pitched our camp close to a huge bank of snow on
the river's brink. What with our halt, and the badness of the path,
we did not arrive until five P.M., and as the sun set, the spray from
our snowy neighbour began to wrap its chilling influence about us,
and we were glad enough to invest ourselves in some thick cashmere
wraps of native manufacture, which we had hitherto considered merely
as standbyes in case of extraordinary cold on mountain tops.
According to general report, however, we only reach THE FOOT OF THE
MOUNTAINS to-morrow. This sounds well, considering that we have been
ascending steadily for three days, and have left huge avalanches of
snow beneath us, not to mention the mountains which we traversed on the
Peer Punjal side before even entering the Valley of Cashmere at all.
At Soonamurg, where we had been warned that there were no supplies,
we found large herds of sheep and goats. The, people, however,
were not at all inclined to sell them, and we had some trouble in
getting hold of a couple of fine fat sheep from them, for which we
paid, what was here considered a high price, viz. two rupees, or four
shillings each. We also enlisted the temporary services of two hairy,
horny goats, which are to accompany us for the next three marches as
portable dairies, no supplies being procurable on the road. Butter and
milk are both forthcoming here in abundance, and occasionally rice is
to be got. Penetrated with the freshness of the mountain air and the
freedom of our vagabond life, we came unanimously to the conclusion
that we had made a wise exchange from the FAR NIENTE DOLCES of
Sirinugger, and passed a vote of general confidence in the expedition.
JULY 30. - The wind this morning blew bitterly cold over the snow
and into our tent, rendering the operation of turning out rather more
unpopular than usual.
Got off, however, about six, and had a fine bracing march over a
grassy valley among the mountains. After about four kos, the sun began
again to assert his supremacy, and, in conjunction with the cold of
the morning, rather took liberties with our faces and hands. About
half-way we came upon the merry ring of axes among the trees, and
found a party of natives constructing a log-house for the benefit of
travellers towards Ladak. Pitched our camp in a wild spot at the foot
of the mountains, bathed in the snow water, and had a sheep killed
for breakfast.
One of the live stock died this morning: an unfortunate hen had been
sat upon by the ducks, and the result was asphyxia, and consignment
to the torrent.
JULY 31. - Finished up the month by a difficult march of four and
twenty miles, encamping at Pandras about eight P.M. and no longer at
the FOOT of the mountains. Immediately on leaving our halting-place we
commenced the ascent of a steep glacier, and for upwards of four miles
our path lay entirely over the snow: so dense and accumulated was it,
that even when the sun came out and burned fiercely into our faces
and hands, there was no impression whatever made on its icy surface.
The glacier was surrounded on all sides by peaks of perpetual snow,
while parts of it were of such ancient date that, ingrained as it was
with bits of stick and stones &c., it bore quite the appearance of
rock. The path was in some places so indistinct, that on one occasion
I found myself far ahead of the rest of the party, and approximating
to the clouds instead of to the direction of Ladak. About five kos
on our journey we halted to let the kitchen come up, and had our
breakfast on the snow in the company of a select party of marmots. The
little creatures appeared to live in great peace and seclusion here,
for they let us up, in their ignorance of fire-arms, to within thirty
yards of them before scuttling into their habitations. They were all
dressed in blackish brown suits of long thick fur, and considering
that they live in snow for at least eight months out of twelve,
they appeared not the least too warmly clothed. As we went by they
used to come out and sit up on their hind legs, with their fore
paws hanging helplessly over their paunches, while, with a shrill
discordant cry, they bid us good-morning and then hurried back to
their houses again. Not having our rifles handy they escaped scot
free, otherwise we might have borrowed a coat from one of them as a
reminiscence of the country. After another kos or two we began to get
clear of the glacier; but occasionally we came upon enormous masses of
snow jammed up on either side of the torrent, the action of the water
having worn away the centre. The path gradually led us through rocky
passes, over torrents spanned by snow among the magnificent mountain
range; and although the march was, rather long for a hill country,
we found no fault with it until about the last three kos, when it
was getting late in the day, and although fast becoming hungry,
we saw no immediate prospect of getting anything to eat.
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