The romantic East: Burma, Assam, & Kashmir - Khamkoo

THE ROAD TO KASHMIR 131
some snow to be seen on the saddle of the hill in
front of the dak bungalow
at Tret, but the sun had
been uncomfortably hot during the day, and there
was no sign of snow on the road.
The next morning we left Tret at half -past
seven, and got to Gohragully
in little over an
hour. From milestones 27 to 29, where the road
zigzags up, there are fine views over the plains
to Rawal Pindi, south of south-west, and to the
isolated mountains west of south-west. Above
milestone 30 there was snow and ice
on the road,
and two miles beyond the tonga stopped close
by the round, stone watch-tower, at Gohragully,
built at time of the Mutiny, about a mile below
Murree brewery. There we engaged coolies
to carry our luggage, and riding ponies for ourselves.
The established charge for riding ponies with
" European saddles " is one rupee per stage
;
for
baggage ponies or mules, eight annas ;
and for
coolies carrying twenty-five sirs, say fifty pounds
weight, of luggage, four annas. An extra payment
of an anna to a good coolie is considered a
satisfactory tip.
The tonga drivers look for a tip,