and unimportance, with being a “ mere insect of an
hour ” crawling about among the grasses when
compared to the stately forest kings that towered
above. The trees and the heights swallowed up all poor
mortality and that which appertained thereto, their
huts and their tents, so that though many were
encamped the place seemed deserted, and it was only
by wearisome walks backwards and forwards that the
size of this green oasis was realised, and what in the
distance looked like white specks proved to be tents.
These passing visitors were strangely at the mercy
of the elements in their tiny, fragile shells. Fearful
storms swept down from the heights and came rushing
down the deep valleys which cut off the hills above
Gulmerg from the neighbouring heights, tempests of
thunder and lightning echoed and re-echoed round the
encircling mountains, and sudden swift drifts of snow
would descend; and yet the charm of the existence was
very great, practically cut off from all the society and
people of the populous valley, alone among the pine
forests and the mergs. For only by chance accident was
it possible to learn the identity of any fellow-sojourners,
and as the “ season ” had not yet commenced, no people
of sociable tastes had yet arrived, they not considering
Gulmerg worth a visit till summer had made herself
more decidedly felt. Eventually storms and rain uprooted
me, as they will uproot the strongest, for few are
proof for long periods together against constant and
daily drenchings if dry clothes are an impossibility,
for the reason that every part of the temporary home is
soaking, and the descending floods will not allow of a
fire; but it was with the deepest regret that I left
Gulmerg and those flower-besprent meadows with their
grave forest sentinels cut off from the rest of the valley,
and guarded at a distance by some of the grandest
peaks in the world.
To return to the day of my arrival: I had scarcely
had time to fix on a suitable camping-ground, and station
some coolie to watch for my belated retainers and
instruct them where I had determined to pitch my
moving tents, when the black clouds that had quickly
been passing over dark Apharwat lowered, expanded,
and emptied themselves on the green merg. Till that
moment I had believed that my morning’s walk had
taken all energy away. I t was pleasant to find I had
underrated my powers, and in a few brief moments I
was across the merg, swift as “ arrow from the bow,”
and into the shelter of the friendly post office, still in
its casual winter condition, not yet in strict working
order for the season. “ Much rain,” was my sufficiently
obvious remark as I entered. “ We do not consider that
much rain,” answered the postmaster, without emotion.
“ I t has not descended before to-day; the merg has
lately been one flood; I should advise you to camp high
up, and see that the land is not moving with the wet.
Here there is much rain; the Barsat (the real rainy
season) is expected soon ” ! The remark was not cheering
to one who considered the sample received quite
representative enough of moisture without added proofs
of the powers of the god of watering pots and rheumatics.
Hoping for better things, I made my way
across the sopping merg to where I could see my men
standing about, soaking and miserable, crossing the
many streams by small bridges or stepping-stones.