DARJEELING TO THE BORDERS OF BHOTAN. 217 
both like bushes of Myrica Gale. Crossing the Rungmo, where it 
falls into the Rungeet, we came upon a groupe of Bhoteas, drinking fer- 
mented Murwa liquor, under a rock: I had a good deal of difficulty in 
getting my people past, and more in inducing one of the topers to 
take the place of a Ghorka (Nipalese) of our party who was ill with fever. 
Soon after we had to cross the river, at a spot most wild and beautiful, 
and where my eyes were gladdened with a sight of one of the most 
characteristic of Himalayan objects of art, a cane bridge! All the 
spurs round the bases of which the river flowed, were steep and rocky, 
their flanks clothed with the richest tropical forest, their crests tipped 
with towering hungry-looking Pines. ‘On the river's edge, the Banana, 
Pandanus? and Bauhinia racemosa, or scandens, were most frequent, 
with Figs and the trees above-mentioned. One exceedingly beautiful 
Ficus, of a species new to me, projected over the stream, growing out 
of a mass of rock, its roots interlaced and grappling at every available 
support in its neighbourhood, while its branches, loaded with deep 
glossy foliage, hung over the stream. This tree formed one pier for 
the canes; that on the opposite bank was constructed of strong piles, 
‘propped all round. Between them the frail structure swung, about 
eighty yards long, ever rocking over the torrent (forty feet below) ; 
though I could not detect any further cause for the motion than the 
draught of air possibly induced by the rapid flow of the current beneath 
(as a circular disc, revolved over a stationary one, communicates to 
the latter a similar motion). The fragility and extreme simplicity of 
the structure were very remarkable. Two parallel canes, on the same 
horizontal plane, were stretched across the stream; from them others hung 
in loops, and along the loops were laid one or two bamboo stems for 
flooring; cross-pieces, below this flooring, keep the two upper canes apart. 
You ascend the rock by the interlaced roots of the Ficus, grasp one of — 
the canes in either hand, and walk along the loose bamboos laid on the 
swinging loops: the motion is frightful, and the rattling of the loose 
dry bamboos is neither a musical sound (the whole structure seems as if 
it were going to break down), nor is it calculated to inspire confidence. 
As you may not understand this without a sketch, I adjoin one. With 
shoes on the feet it is almost impossible to walk on the round dry 
bamboo, which affords the only footing ; nor is it easy with bare feet, 
especially as there is often but one bamboo, which, when the fastening 
is loose, tilts up with your weight, and leaves you clinging to the 
slender canes. When properly and strongly made, with good fasten- 
ings and a floor of bamboos laid transversely, these bridges are of 
VOL. II. 2 F 
