48 Captain Gerard's Account of a Survey 



Leaving the forest, they descended by a narrow rocky path, 

 among dark thickets of oaks, holly, yew, and horse-chesnut. 

 They here crossed the Saildang torrent, by three rude alpine 

 bridges, over as many large and very rapid streams, which flow, 

 or rather rush from their sources in the Himalaya to the south- 

 ward, descending, in a succession of cascades, to the Setlej, 

 a couple of miles below the bridges. 



After crossing the Saildang, there was a mile and a half of 

 very steep ascent, which required some agility to surmount, 

 without slipping down the precipice. Rank grass, from 8 to 

 10 feet high, concealed the intricacies of the path, and render- 

 ed it necessary to pick the way with the utmost caution. 

 Thence to Taranda the road led through woods of pine. It 

 rained heavily all day, and the baggage did not arrive till 

 sunset. 



Taranda is 7100 feet above the sea. Gneiss and mica- 

 slate appear to predominate here, and granite is not so fre- 

 quent. Nearly opposite this, to the south, the Himalaya 

 mountains may be said to end. 



The travellers halted for a day on account of rain, and pro- 

 ceeded on the following (18th September) to Suran, a tiresome 

 journey, made more disagreeable and fatiguing by incessant 

 rain. 



They crossed the Chaunde, a large and impetuous stream, 

 by a dangerous sango of two thin spars, one much lower than 

 the other, and traversed a dark forest of oak and holly. In- 

 clined rocks, and soil drenched with rain aggravated difficulty 

 to danger. In fording a rapid stream, in which they were 

 completely drenched, many of the loads were soaked with wa- 

 ter. Some of the geological specimens were rendered useless 

 by the writing on the paper envelopes being effaced ; and the 

 whole of the botanical collection, with the exception of very 

 few plants, was entirely destroyed. 



Maniati ghati, the ordinary stage between Taranda and 

 Suran, parts Kunawar from Dasau, another of the great divi- 

 sions of Basehar. The country westward assumes a more ci- 

 vilized appearance : villages are more thickly studded, cultiva- 

 tion more abundant, and not so circumscribed by huge masses 



