strong, easy to load on ponies, and cost but 7 rupees
apiece. Chuts, large saddle-bags made of hair, were
used for carrying our flour, rice, etc.
Hargreaves left Srinagar before my arrival, and
hurried forward to Leh in order to attend to the
ponies and see to the fitting of their equipment,
taking with him twenty-five pony-loads of the bulkier
goods, such as tents, rugs, and rice.
I arrived in Srinagar on May 3rd, camping in
the Chenar Bagh. The year 1903 was marked by
disastrous floods, and even at this date the level of the
water was several feet above the normal. Here I was
met by Babu Ram Singh, the sub-surveyor, together
with his cook—for Ram Singh’s religious susceptibilities
necessitated his having a man of the same caste to do
his cooking.
I have rarely seen so marked a contrast between
two men of the same country—for both were Gurkhas.
Ram Singh was about five feet eight inches in height,
of solid, not to say corpulent build, of placid temper, a
good English scholar, and a most pleasant and interesting
companion. He also possessed the quality (rare
among natives of India) of dealing tactfully with men
of other castes and nations.
His cook, on the other hand, was of minute stature,
half starved in appearance, and cringing in manner. He
was the only man in the whole of our caravan who
increased in size and weight—for he proved himself to
be a great flesh-eater, and, with the choicest joints of
venison generally at hand, was able to spend many
hours in silent gluttony.
Rajah Sir Amar Singh, the brother of the Maharajah
of Kashmir, had kindly provided us with relays of
coolies and ponies along the whole road to Leh, so the
journey was accomplished with rapidity and comfort.
The snow on the Zoji La was, for once, firm and hard,
and the climb over the pass was consequently rendered
both pleasant and exhilarating.
No account of the first part of the trip is needed, as
much has already been written on Kashmir and Ladak;
suffice it to say that I joined Hargreaves at Leh on May
19th, after a monotonous but comfortable journey of
250 miles.
It will be here in place to briefly state the composition
of the expedition, and to enumerate the stores and
impedimenta which were needed for our journey into
the unknown land.
Besides Hargreaves and myself, the party consisted
of Ram Singh and his servant, Abdul Khalik, two
cooks, two camp-men and twelve pony-men. To assist
in keeping the camp supplied with fresh meat, I
engaged the services of my old shikari, Sabhana of
Wataila, a man who on several previous occasions
had done good work with me in Kashmir.
For survey purposes, the instruments included one
6" theodolite; one 3" theodolite; two hypsometers,
with four spare thermometers for registration of the
altitude and graduated from 212° F. to 170° F . ; four
maximum and minimum thermometers; two aneroids,
each registering up to 24,000 feet; two chronometers
and two plane tables, with their necessary adjuncts.
Our battery consisted of two sporting rifles, two
M.M. '303 carbines, one ‘500 Magnum Express, one ‘450
Express and a Paradox, together with 1000 rounds of
rifle ammunition and __ _ 200 Og un cartridgOes.
For clothing, Hargreaves and I each had, in addition
to the ordinary Norfolk suits, lamb’s-wool under-gar-
ments, a short and light poshteen coat, trousers of the
same material, together with Gilgit boots to slip over
the feet. Large fur gauntlets, balaclava caps, woollen