ree minus everything including servants. There is excellent
Mahseer fishing in this river, the fish attain the enormous size of
80lbs. weight and afford exciting sport; but I have no tackle with me,
and did not even bring a gun, as I thought I should be too seedy to do
anything but moon about. I did not then know the great exertion
necessary to reach Kashmir, an exertion which any man with bodily
infirmity would hardly venture on without first providing himself with
an undertaker. Upon making enquiries I find that all the Coolies and
supplies on the other road, have been sent over to this side, so I must
keep to it and not cross as I intended. In the evening a slim young
native came to me and offered to swim across the river for Bakhshish, "a
present." I promised it to him, and he ran a quarter of a mile up, and
plunged into the torrent, landing on the opposite side a little below
the bungalow. He then went up the river again, and swam down to this
side, no mean feat in turbulent water running as it did with tremendous
velocity. I gave him eight annas for it.

JULY 12th, "Sunday."--In the middle of last night a storm came on, I was
sleeping in the open air, and the lightning awoke me, it was beginning
to rain, and I had to move into the house. It was broad daylight when I
was called, and I felt disinclined to proceed. I said it would rain, and
I would halt. My boy said, "No Sir, no rain." I said the sun would come
out and it would be burning hot. He said, "No Sir, no sun." I felt it
was useless continuing the argument, so I got up and marched to Kunda,
eighteen miles, walking all the way. A hard march, nothing but steep
rough ascents, and corresponding descents, still keeping along the
river, but two or three hundred feet above it. My Coolies pointed out to
me a herd of "chiken" on a very high hill, at least four miles away. I
saw nothing, for even big trees at that distance were diminished to
very small objects, but did not dispute with them. They say uncivilized
man has wonderful sight, and if deer were there, he certainly has far
higher powers of vision even, than I had been led to expect. Met three
men leaving Kashmir, and exchanged remarks with them. Don't know who
they were. Caught sight of my destination from the top of one hill, and
was delighted to see it was quite close to me. But alas! several weary
miles of up and down and in and out had to be traversed before it could
be reached. This has several times hap