, which is handed to the care of a carrier. The latter runs
rapidly over the seven kilometres assigned to him, carrying on his back
a basket which holds several of these bags, which he delivers to another
carrier, who, in his turn, accomplishes his task in an identical manner.
Neither rain nor snow can arrest these carriers. In this way the mail
service is carried on between Kachmyr and Thibet, and _vice versa_ once
a week. For each course the letter carrier is paid six annas (twenty
cents); the same wages as is paid to the carriers of merchandise. This
sum I also paid to every one of my servants for carrying a ten times
heavier load.

It makes one's heart ache to see the pale and tired-looking figures of
these carriers; but what is to be done? It is the custom of the country.
The tea is brought from China by a similar system of transportation,
which is rapid and inexpensive.

In the village of Montaiyan, I found again the Yarkandien caravan of
pilgrims, whom I had promised to accompany on their journey. They
recognized me from a distance, and asked me to examine one of their men,
who had fallen sick. I found him writhing in the agonies of an intense
fever. Shaking my hands as a sign of despair, I pointed to the heavens
and gave them to understand that human will and science were now
useless, and that God alone could save him. These people journeyed by
small stages only; I, therefore, left them and arrived in the evening at
Drass, situated at the bottom of a valley near a river of the same name.
Near Drass, a little fort of ancient construction, but freshly painted,
stands aloof, under the guard of three Sikhs of the Maharadja's army.

At Drass, my domicile was the post-house, which is a station--and the
only one--of an unique telegraph line from Srinagar to the interior of
the Himalayas. From that time on, I no more had my tent put up each
evening, but stopped in the caravansarais; places which, though made
repulsive by their dirt, are kept warm by the enormous piles of wood
burned in their fireplaces.

From Drass to Karghil the landscape is unpleasing and monotonous, if one
excepts the marvellous effects of the rising and setting sun and the
beautiful moonlight. Apart from these the road is wearisome and
abounding with dangers. Karghil is the principal place of the district,
where the governor of the country resides. Its site is quite
picturesque. Two water courses, the Souron and the Wakkha, roll their
noisy and