CHAPTER IV
THE JOURNEY BEGUN
T h e 24th of May broke clear and bright. At
the first streak of dawn all were astir, but though
we worked like Trojans "to get things ready, it was
nearly eleven o’clock before the ponies were actually
clear of the dak bungalow.
As is only to be expected in all Eastern towns, a
large crowd had collected to see us off, and there were
plenty of onlookers who were only too willing to assist
in the loading of the ponies. Much to our surprise,
the animals submitted quietly to the indignity of a
load with the exception of two squealing stallions,
which fought most determinedly with their human
oppressors. They were, however, mastered at last,
and loaded with bags of grain in such a manner as to
discourage even the most playful animal.
Having marshalled our caravan, we finally set out
from the dak bungalow, escorted by a considerable
crowd for some distance beyond the town.
For the first mile or two the ponies behaved admirably,
and we were just congratulating ourselves on the
success of our start, when one pony, in spite of all our
efforts, broke back, and made straight for Leh. His
example was immediately followed by five others, and
we had the mortification of seeing all six disappear
round the hill in a cloud of dust. No ropes could
stand the strain of such proceedings, and yakdans,
18
tinned foods and saddles littered the road in all
directions.
Back we went in pursuit, and after a long chase the
delinquents were caught and persuaded to return to the
remains of their loads, but not before one of them had
fully demonstrated his not inconsiderable racing abilities.
After this one slight mishap, the rest of the march was
completed without trouble.
A dark lurid haze hung over the valley during the
day—the air being full of dust, probably the result of
a sandstorm in the plains of India.
The first night was spent in the rest-house at
Ranbirpur, at which place a decisive victory had been
gained by Zarawar Singh, the general of Raja Ranbir
Singh, over the Ladakis in 1841.
The next morning we started early. The packs
were rapidly and efficiently adjusted by the Ladakis
and Argoons, who vied with each other in an exhibition
of quick loading. Long practice enables these caravan-
drivers to reach a very high pitch of excellence in this
most important work.
The road from Srinagar to Leh is good, but beyond
Leh it becomes heavy and rocky, and strewn with
granite boulders, so that travelling both for man and
beast is by no means easy.
Chimray was reached in a snowstorm. Here we
were joined by Hargreaves, who had been unlucky in
his search for burhel, as he had not sighted a single
animal.
Outside the , village we were met by a charming
old lumbadar,1 evidently very anxious to oblige,
though he did not appear to be blessed with a
large amount of intelligence, and even of this small
stock he seemed to be deprived at the sight of Khalik.
1 Lumbadar= head man.