ABSTRACT
Our departure from civilization has been gradual, for we left Srinagar in a car, which took us as far as the opening of the Sind Valley, thus accomplishing in less than two hours a distance for which, in former times, a caravan took a stage and a half. When the car could go no farther, saddle-horses were waiting for us, and with them began our real wandering life. It began at the same quick rate at which we had already accomplished the journey between Italy and Srinagar, for we have already passed what would normally be the second stage, Kangan, and have arrived, as it were in one breath, at the next—Gund, that is, three stages in only one day.
