FRESH ANIMALS. 313
exclusive of Niaz Akun's section, consisted of 29 ponies, one mule, 26 donkeys, two camels, 140 sheep and goats with 13 men, mostly Ladakis, for drivers. Our supplies of flour, rice, biscuits, bread, tea, ghee, tobacco, salt, and spices for the caravan and myself with some small luxuries for my own use weighed about 3,000 lbs. or about 1.34 tons, and at the rate of 12 lbs. per day for each man, exclusive of rations of fresh meat, would last for 115 days or rather more than sixteen weeks. Besides these stores, we carried, of course, cooking utensils, bedding, clothes, instruments, medicines, arms and ammunition, cash, a large stock of grain, and a variety of articles which scarcely fall under any of these heads, so that the transporting of our luggage was a serious matter.
Not one of the villagers came to give us a send-off, but, though rain was falling, we were joined by a petty official, whose duty doubtless was to prevent the villagers from giving us any assistance. Ram Singh, Abdul Karim, Dass, and I were nominally provided with riding ponies, but when leaving Polu all were on foot, except Bain Singh, who rode my pony. All the animals were fresh, and as the ponies kicked and scampered about, unsettling their loads, they gave us much trouble. The solitary mule always kept aloof from the ponies, and marched sedately with the donkeys. I did my best to help the caravan men, and walked in front leading a string of ponies, the heads of those behind being tied to the tails of those before. When we reached Alajoi, where the young corn was green and tempting, the animals rushed from the track to feed on the fresh stalks ; and though it
was impossible to keep them off altogether, the villagers seemed quite unconcerned, never even approaching to
protect their property. Further on, where" there seemed no temptation to leave the beaten track, the ponies would insist on having their own way; and when a group, tied
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