The Last Few Kos We Find Invariably Longer Than Their Fellows;
One Kos By DESCRIPTION, At This Stage Of The Proceedings, Being
Generally Equal To Two In Reality.
Asking a native, how far we are
from a halting-place, is invariably answered in one of two ways:
either THOREE DOOR, not very far, or NUZDEEK, close.
THOREE DOOR means
generally about four miles, while NUZDEEK may be translated five at
least. A kos too, which ought to be from one and a half to two miles,
means here anything between one mile and seven. Delaying as much as
possible, to let our servants up, we reached Pandras at last, and
found all the inhabitants turned out to see our arrival; they were
dressed in long woollen coats and sheepskins, and looked something
between Russians and Tartars, with a strong flavour of the Esquimaux,
as depicted by Polar voyagers. As the sun went down it became bitterly
cold, and we found the natives even, shuddering under the influences
of the snowy wind, which, setting in from the mountains, appeared to
blow from all points of the compass at one and the same time. What
the village of Pandras must be in mid-winter it is hard to imagine,
so covered with snow as the mountains around it are even in August,
and so bleak and so barren the valley in which it is situated.
In spite of the cold, we astonished the entire swaddled population
by taking off our clothes, and bathing in a little crystal stream
close by: two operations, in all probability, which they themselves
had never perpetrated within the memory of the oldest inhabitant,
This feat accomplished, we were much astonished by the arrival of a
RARA AVIS, in the shape of a British traveller, from the direction
of Ladak. He turned out to be an officer of the Government survey,
now being carried on in the mountains, and we took the opportunity
of deriving from him all the information we could, relative to the
prospect before us. He strongly recommended us to go to the monastery
of Hemis, beyond Ladak, and also to the Lakes, but the latter would
appear to be beyond the limits of our time. The only natives we had met
during our unusually long march to-day, were four hairy-looking savages
from the interior, from whom, after much difficulty, I succeeded
in purchasing an aboriginal tobacco-pouch, flint, and steel, all
combined in one, paying for the same about three times its actual and
local value, viz. two rupees. They were dressed in long woollen coats,
with thick bands of stuff rolled round their waists; and all four had
bunches of yellow flowers stuck in their caps, and pipes, knives,
tobacco-pouches, &c. hung round their girdles. Their shoes were of
the Esquimaux pattern, the soles sheepskin, coming up all round the
front of the foot, where they were joined by woollen continuations -
shoes, socks, and leggings, being thus conveniently amalgamated into
one article of apparel.
AUGUST 1. - On the road a little later than usual, all hands being
tired after yesterday's exertions. The path to-day lay among huge
boulders of rock, which had come down as specimens from the mountains
above, and after a short march of five kos, we reached Dras, a little
assemblage of flat-roofed houses, with a mud fort about half a mile
from it, in the valley. This was built with four bastions and a ditch
scarped with paving-stones, which surrounded it on all sides except
one, where it was naturally defended by the torrent. On the road we
passed a curious bridge, built entirely of rope manufactured from
twigs of trees. The cables thus formed were swung across the torrent,
from piles of loose stones, in a most scientific way, though not one
calculated to inspire confidence in any traveller with weak nerves who
might have to trust himself to its support. It appeared, nevertheless,
a most serviceable structure, and was decidedly picturesque. At Dras
we were able to get all supplies except fowls.
AUGUST 2. - Having a long and up-hill march before us, we were up and
dressed by moonlight. Outside the village, we came upon two curious
old stones, standing about six feet high, upright, and carved in the
way we had already seen at the ruins of Pandau and elsewhere. These
stones were of irregular form, and carved on three sides, and the
designs, though much worn, were distinctly traceable. They represented,
apparently, a male and female figure, standing about five feet high,
and surrounded by three smaller figures each. Like all the other
sculptured figures we had seen, they were innocent of clothes, with
the exception of the rope, or very scant drapery, which ran across
their ancles and up either side to the shoulders.
Leaving these, we passed through a wild and rugged valley among the
mountains, cultivated in patches, and watered by numerous little
sparkling crystal streams. At short intervals, there were little
settlements of mud huts, built, Tartar fashion, one on top of another,
and peopled by a few miserable-looking natives, who appeared, in
their woollen rags, to be cold, even in the middle of this summer's
day. The few travellers we met during our march were flat nosed,
heavy-looking creatures, with Chinese skull-caps and pig-tails,
and were employed in conveying salt to Cashmere, packed in bags of
woven hair, and laden on cows and asses as weird and strange-looking
as their owners. About five kos off, we called a halt for breakfast,
and reached Tusgam about four P.M.
Here we found a few ARBOR VITAE, and other shrubs, in bad health,
the first of the tree species we had encountered since ascending
the glacier.
AUGUST 3. - Struck our camp at sunrise, and crossing the torrent,
which still accompanied us, descended the Pass by a slight
decline. During the day we passed through numerous gorges, studded
with giant masses of rock, and bounded on all sides by rugged and
inhospitable mountains.
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