AUGUST 6th.—­Bought some tackle and went fishing, but the hooks were rotten and the fish broke several.  I only succeeded in landing one trout of nearly two pounds weight.  The spoon bait is a favourite one here.  Bought a variety of stones and pebbles.  Laduk, Yarkund, Opals, Garnets, &c., for making brooches, bracelets, and studs.  I was a long while making the selection and a long while bargaining, but I seem to have got them cheap; at all events for less money than Hewson has paid for his.  This, and fishing, occupied the whole day—­which was consequently an uneventful one.  In the evening I borrowed writing materials from Hewson, and wrote a letter to Bell.

AUGUST 7th.—­Went out spearing fish, but found it difficult in consequence of the allowance necessary for the refraction of the water and the movement of the fish.  There is a great temptation to strike in an apparently direct line with the fish, which I need hardly say, even if the fish be stationary does not go near it.  I only succeeded in piercing two.  But I afterwards went out with a spoon and very soon landed a couple of trout of two and four pounds weight.  I have found out who was at Baramula ——­ travelling quietly like a private gentleman, still, notwithstanding the paucity of his retinue, the unmistakeable stamp of nobility about him made it plain that he was more than he appeared to be, obtaining for him the attention which he had wished to ignore.  As a contrast to him we have here X——­, Y——­, and Z——­, noticeable like many other Englishmen, when travelling in foreign countries for the prodigality of their expenditure, one of whom got a thrashing the other day from ——.  Rather a disreputable affair for him, if all I hear be true.  I dare say many a poor native wishes that a small portion of the money these three men waste was given to them instead.

AUGUST 8th.—­I have done nothing to-day except go to Sumnad Shas for some more money, as I intend to leave Sreenugger to-morrow for the eastern part of Kashmir.  There are two reasons for my idleness; in the first place Hewson gave me some books he had done with, and I got interested in James’ “Heidelberg” and was reading it all this morning; and secondly, Hewson left this afternoon and sat a long time with me before his departure.  To lengthen my notes for the day I ought to write a sermon, or secular discourse, (as I have done before) but I don’t feel inclined to do so.  This diary only gets my thoughts when they arise spontaneously and require no further labour than the mere putting of them into words.  To-day my mind is a blank, and I am not going to search in hidden recesses for thoughts that may possibly be secreted there.  Perhaps after dinner something may occur to me worth writing about.

AUGUST 9th, Sunday.—­On again by the big boat up the Jhelum stopping at Pampur for two hours fishing under the bridge (the reputed haunt of large fish) but without success, so continued the journey gliding slowly along the beautiful river until dark, when the boat was run ashore and secured.  So it has been an uneventful day with no new scenery to describe and no musings to record.