While descending a very steep part of
the road, my saddle suddenly slipped over the pony's round little
carcase on to his neck, and, NOLENS VOLENS, I came to the ground,
the pony remaining in a position very nearly perpendicular, with
his tail towards the heavens and his head between my legs, in which
predicament he luckily remained perfectly quiet, until the bhistie,
coming up behind, set us both on our proper extremities once more.
OCTOBER 5. - Started for Chukothee, and thinking, in an evil moment,
to walk off the effects of my late mishap, I essayed the fifteen
miles on foot.
Long before reaching half way, however, I began to look about for
anything in the shape of a pony, that might appear in sight; but,
none being forthcoming, I was obliged to finish as I had begun, and
at last reached our destination, a snug little village, buried in
fields of yellow rice upon the hill-side. On the way, I fell in with
a fine old Mussulman Zemindar, trudging along on his return to Delhi,
from paying a visit to Sirinugger.
Being an unusually talkative old gentleman, we fraternized by the way,
and he told me that he had been to see the civil commissioner of his
district, now acting as commissioner in the valley, to make his salaam,
relative to a "jageer," or Government grant of certain villages to the
amount of some three thousand rupees per annum, which he had succeeded
in obtaining on account of his loyalty during the recent mutiny.
Of this three thousand rupees, it appeared that only one thousand
would come into his own pocket, the remainder being payable as rent,
&c. to Government.
His son had also a jageer of twelve thousand rupees, so that both he
and his family were loyal and well to do in the world. His ideas of
Cashmere were rather amusing. He appeared to think it a miserable spot
enough, compared to his own land, and the only advantage he could hit
upon, was, in my estimation, quite the reverse, viz: THAT SIRINUGGER
WAS VERY HOT IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER.
The rice he had a supreme contempt for. It was not to be compared
with the Indian rice, and the Cashmeeries he pooh-poohed, as being
no judges whatever of its qualities, and, in fact; not fit to eat
rice at all. He seemed quite unable to understand my walking when I
could ride; or, indeed, why I should leave such a charming country
as India to be uncomfortable in Cashmere, without even having any
jageer business to transact as an excuse.
Our coolies, being an unusually miserable crew, we got breakfast about
two P.M. To-day our tent lamp finished its erratic life, according to
the Dhobie's account, by self-destruction!
