They are never used by traders or travellers and are very little known. Mirza
Haidar's route (and the one the Khan afterwards followed) was the ordinary one


over the Karakorum pass, as is evident from Nubra being mentioned as the first
point reached on arriving in Ladak.
^


and Distribution of the Army. 421


Be has gone out of me, you can do as you please." During this time


he frequently asked after me, and used to say, with emotion and
regret: ** At the present moment I have no other desire than this
[seeing the author], and I pray God that my life may be preserved


.. until I meet him once more." He also repeated verses suited to
- his frame of mind: among them the following couplet. ( Verses].
. . . He constantly uttered such sentiments during his intervals
of consciousness.
It is strange that in spite of the severity of this malady, ono
never desires to stay in one place [forany length of time]. Indeed,
80 excessive is the cold, and so great the scarcity of water and corn,
that supposing one to make a halt, it would only aggravate the
disease. "The cure is to do one's best to reach some place where
dam-giri is less prevalent. Whenever the Khán reached such a
place he recovered consciousness.
