JULY 19. - Made an expedition to the small lake to see a building
which we were informed was built by the Puree, or fairies - the Peri
of poetical licence.
After a sharp struggle up a steep hill, under a hot sun, we reached
the building; but, to all appearance, the fairies had less to do
with the edifice than a race of very indifferent engineers. It was
evidently the remains of a hill fort, built of stones and mortar,
and with nothing wonderful in its construction whatever. It was
tenanted by buffaloes and a few natives; and having seen specimens
of both before, we took our departure again rather in a bad humour
with both the fairies and their partisans.
In the plain below we found the remains of Cyclopeian ruins in an
enormous block of stone, part of a column.
JULY 22. - Started this evening in the direction of the water-lake
in further search of ancient ruins.
JULY 23. - Found ourselves at daybreak among the mosquitoes in a
little stream about two kos from Patrun. After breakfasting, we started
for the vicinity of the ruins. As usual, in the villages we passed
through, we found traces of cut stone doing duty as washing-stones,
or corners of walls, &c; and at Patrun we found
rather a fine old ruined temple, something similar in style to those
towards Islamabad.[16] It was surrounded at some distance by trees,
which had tended apparently to preserve the building, for the stone
carvings were clearer and less decayed by time than any others we
had seen. Being caught here in a heavy rain, we had a scamper for
our boats, and after a wet journey, reached Sirinugger about eight P.M.
JULY 26. - Finding ourselves rather tired of Sirinugger, and with
no other books than Hindostanee to beguile the time, we resolved
upon an expedition across the mountains into the regions of Little
Thibet. Began preparations by hiring twelve coolies, at thirteen
shillings each per mensem, and a mate or head man to look after
them. Increased our stock of ducks to twelve, and otherwise added to
our necessary stores, and completed the arrangements for a move.
To-day a number of arrivals and departures took place, and the whole
settlement was in a state of excitement and confusion. Boatmen swarmed
about in rival application for employment, while all the rascals in
the place seemed to have assembled together for the occasion: those
who had bills, wanting to get them paid; and those who were either
lucky or unfortunate enough to have none, wanting to open them as
soon as possible with the new comers. What with these and pistol
practice and rifle shooting from upper casements across the river,
in order to expend spare ammunition, the European quarter was a very
Babel all day long, and we were not sorry to escape the turmoil and
get under weigh to new scenes as soon as possible.
