It was broad daylight when I
was called, and I felt disinclined to proceed. I said it would rain, and
I would halt. My boy said, "No Sir, no rain." I said the sun would come
out and it would be burning hot. He said, "No Sir, no sun." I felt it
was useless continuing the argument, so I got up and marched to Kunda,
eighteen miles, walking all the way. A hard march, nothing but steep
rough ascents, and corresponding descents, still keeping along the
river, but two or three hundred feet above it. My Coolies pointed out to
me a herd of "chiken" on a very high hill, at least four miles away. I
saw nothing, for even big trees at that distance were diminished to
very small objects, but did not dispute with them. They say uncivilized
man has wonderful sight, and if deer were there, he certainly has far
higher powers of vision even, than I had been led to expect. Met three
men leaving Kashmir, and exchanged remarks with them. Don't know who
they were. Caught sight of my destination from the top of one hill, and
was delighted to see it was quite close to me. But alas! several weary
miles of up and down and in and out had to be traversed before it could
be reached. This has several times happened to me, and I shall in future
put no faith in appearances. The Barahduree here is a two storied one,
standing I should think five hundred feet above the river, which is
here confined in a very narrow channel.
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