which has now lost its tortuous zig-zag course and bounded by the
everlasting snows covering the main backbone of the Himalayas. At the
head of the valley stands the quaint looking town of Baramula surrounded
by hills on all sides but one, embowered in trees and intersected by the
Jhelum, across which there is a good wooden bridge. The houses have
mostly an upper story, and are built of wood with gabled roofs. The
streets are narrow and roughly paved, and I regret to say are not more
pleasant to the nostrils than are those of other Indian towns. The
bridge built of deodar wood, beams of which are driven into the bed of
the river, and then others laid horizontally upon them, each row at
right angles to and projecting beyond the layer beneath, till a
sufficient height has been reached, six of these and two stone piers
form the buttresses of the bridge and a broad pathway of planks connects
them. The march was a fatiguing one on account of its length, and I used
the dandy freely. I shall however discard it altogether for the future.
I went to the Barahduree but found it occupied by a man whose name I was
told was "----," had been there five days. His Coolies had taken
possession of all the rooms, and though I was very angry and inclined to
turn them out, I thought my tent would be preferable to a room just
vacated by the uncleanly native, so I went to an orchard close by,
surrounded by a row of fine poplars, and patiently awaited the arrival
of my baggage which was a long time coming. The gate was guarded by the
Maharajah's sepoys who endeavoured to prevent my entrance. The Thikadar
told me he had no authority for this, but had done it "Zubbur-dustee."
They also say that the occupant of the Barahduree has just come from
England. He is a being shrouded in mystery, and I shall endeavour to
unravel it. My first step will be to report the occurrence to the
officials at S---- when I get there. I took a swim in the Jhelum, whose
course I have now followed for eighty-four crooked miles, and on whose
bosom I shall to-morrow continue my journey.