which had been set me had been successfully accomplished, was satisfaction indeed, and that night of my arrival in the Gilgit Agency was another of those times the recollection of which is impressed indelibly upon my memory.
After staying a few days at Gilgit, we set out again for Kashmir. The season was now late, and the Burzil Pass, thirteen thousand four hundred feet, and the Tragbal Pass, eleven thousand two hundred feet, had to be crossed. On December, 13 we crossed the former, and three days later we descended from the Tragbal into the valley of Kashmir once more. The round had been completed ; we had crossed seventeen passes, and attempted two more, and had travelled through as rough a country as any that could be found. I now parted with my Gurkha escort, and they told me for the first time that, before leaving the regiment, their head native officer had told them that if anything happened to me on the journey we were to undertake, not a single one of them was to return to disgrace the name of the regiment to which he belonged. They must not come back without their officer. The Gurkha havildar, as he told me this, said they had all been ready to make any sacrifice for the success of the expedition ; but they had had no hardship whatever, and he thanked me for all the care I had taken of them during the journey. These Gurkhas were splendid little men ; I felt all through that I could have trusted them in anything, and it was hard to part with men who had been ready to lay down their lives for me at any moment, who were my only companions for many months together, and for whom I had come to feel so strong a personal attachment.
They returned to their regiment ; the havildar and the naik were promoted, and they all received substantial money rewards and a certificate of commendation from the Government of India.
The Pathan orderly also returned to his regiment, where he was promoted, and received a money reward and a similar
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