connected in your mind with the
words to which it is set, you will understand its spirit, and see that
however beautiful it may be it is only the means whereby higher thoughts
and nobler feelings are sought to be expressed. I bought here a very
fine pair of Antlers of the "Bara sing"--a large deer found on these
hills.

AUGUST 17th.--To Kookur Nag, twelve miles. I am now convinced I came the
wrong road from Atchibul to Nowboog, as I had to march back over a great
portion of it this morning; however, with the exception of a mile or
two, it was all down hill, and as I knew when I started that I had
twelve miles to go, I was not tired. Stopped at the village on the way
where there are iron works, and saw them smelting the ore which is
obtained from the neighbouring mountains, this ore is a yellow powder,
and appears to be almost pure oxide. Their method of working is very
rude; a small furnace, such as a blacksmith uses at home, supplied with
a pair of leather bellows constitutes the whole of the foundry, and is
of course, only capable of smelting a very small quantity of ore at a
time. Kookur Nag is the name of some springs about two miles from the
village I have encamped at, and I walked over this afternoon to see
them. It was scarcely worth the trouble. There are a great number of
them close together and they issue from the ground, as usual, at the
foot of a prettily wooded hill. The water is very pure and cold, and of
sufficient quantity to form immediately a large and rapid stream. This
place lies near the mouth of a wide gorge or valley which leads right up
to the snows, and down which there must have been at one time, either a
mighty rush of water or a vast glacier, as the ground is thickly strewn
with huge boulders. The stratification of one mountain against which it
is evident the flood impinged--is very clearly and beautifully shown.

AUGUST 18th.--To Vernag, ten miles, crossing a range of hills, the
descent being the steepest I have experienced. From the top of the range
there was a fine view of the two valleys of Kookur Nag and Vernag. They
are very similar and down the middle of each is a layer of loose rounded
stones. The springs of Vernag occupy the same position in the valley as
those of Kookur Nag do in the other, but around them is a good sized
village, and their point of exit has been converted into a large and
very deep octagonal tank, which is perfectly crowded with sacred fish.
Surrounding the t