Page:Younghusband - Kashmir.pdf/138

 96 THE VALLEYS AND PLACES OF INTEREST

etc, By the side of the road runs the cool, foaming Lidar stream, and everywhere are villages hidden amongst masses of chenar, walnut, and mulberry.

On the left bank one and a half miles from Islamabad is the famous spring of Bawan—a great tank under cool chenar trees. The spring is sacred to Vishnu, and is in the charge of Brahmins, who keep a book in which visitors have inscribed their names since 1827. The tank is full of fishes fed by the Brahmins, and thousands dash to catch the bread when thrown into the water. Altogether the village and the cool spring welling out of the mountain-side, and the whole shaded by magnificent old chenar trees, form a.most attractive spot well worth a visit.

Twenty-four miles from Bijbehara, or twenty- eight from Islamabad, is Pahlgam, always the camp- ing-ground of several visitors during the summer. Here, too, Colonel Ward for many years has resided in the summer in a small house built by himself, but now taken over by the State. I fancy life here is dull compared with life at Gul- marg, but for those who wish to vegetate and lead a quiet existence Pahlgam is admirably suited. It is two thousand feet higher than Srinagar. The