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

148 THE ROMANTIC EAST
road, which runs south-east from Domel to Uri,
changes its general
Uri and Baramula.
direction to north-east between
The Haji Pir river flows into
the Jehlam from the south, corning down from the
pass of the same name.
The next morning we had an experience of
Oriental cunning. We had asked the tahsildar the
night before to provide us with coolies to carry our
luggage as the road was blocked for wheeled traffic
between Uri and Baramula, and we knew we
should have close on thirty miles to walk through
the snow. We had some hopes of doing
it in one
day, if we could make an early start ;
but when the
coolies arrived in the morning, the native in charge
of the dak bungalow shepherded them into an outhouse,
and kept us kicking our heels until after ten
o'clock waiting for the coolies to turn up.
Finally,
suspecting the trick, we offered him a reward if
he procured
us the number of coolies we wanted
within five minutes, and, sure enough, out they
came from their hiding-place and picked up their
loads. We paid the promised reward, but on our
return journey gave him good
tip, so that in the end he gained nothing.
advice instead of a