ABSTRACT
My day began, at Leh the other morning, at 5 o'clock as usual, owing to the many things I had to do: as usual, my companions were left to sleep peacefully till breakfast-time. Actually, I think the sleep which I allowed them and which they, perhaps, desired, cannot have been very peaceful. In the tree-bordered space round the bungalow there was a great coming and going of porters, who were all ready according to their orders. I was horrified when I saw them arrive in a long file: they had so many fur cloaks and other clothes, so many bags of personal belongings,' so many pots and ladles, that it seemed to me that, with all this junk, their loads were already complete. The mountaineering equipment which I had provided for them had still to be added: how they were then to carry on their shoulders the normal load of 65 pounds as arranged for. each, seemed an almost hopeless problem. But from long experience and knowledge I was sure of my men.
