1 CH. III.] JOURNEY TO LADAKH. 87
2 discharged balls and killed those who stood
3 near them, and intimated a suspicion that
4 the box in question was designed for the
5 Raja's destruction. It was, therefore, sub-
6 mitted to the inspection of the party, and dis-
7 sipated these idle and absurd apprehensions.
8 There was still an evident indisposition to
9 facilitate my departure, and it was even inti-
10 mated to me that it would be preferable for
11 me to return. Dilbagh Sinh then wished me
12 to sign a paper expressive of my satisfaction
13 with the treatment I had experienced from
14 him, but this I refused to do, although I as-,
15 sured Ghous Khan that it was not my inten-
16 tion to make any complaint. At length, on
17 the 29th, came letters from Desa Sinh, an-
18 nouncing the consent of Ranjit Sinh to my
19 route back through the mountains or to
20 Amritsar, as I should think best, and his
21 commands that, in either case, I should be
22 well taken care of In the event of my tra-
23 velling to Amritsar an escort of fifty men
24 was placed at my disposal, and, accordingly,
25 on the evening of the same day, 1 set out in
26 that direction.
27 The country through which I travelled was
28 Digitized by
29 Google