A COLONY OF NEURALGIC MONKEYS. 79 



the hill where we saw the bears. Its steep slopes of slippery 

 grass were difficult walking yesterday, and to-day, covered 

 with half-melted greasy snow, would be nearly impossible. 

 So, very reluctantly, we decided to give up the bears, and 

 make our way to Kishtiwar. 



By 10 a.m. the last kilta was started off, and we turn 

 our footsteps down the valley. The further we descend the 

 warmer it grows. The snow turns to sleet, and the sleet to 

 rain. We pass a colony of monkeys shivering in the cold, 

 and huddled together like human beings. Khaira says the 

 cold nights give them neuralgia, and that they sit in rows 

 holding their heads in their hands and crying like children. 



We follow the stream down to Mogul-Maidan, our 

 halting-place for the night. Although supposed to be a 

 village, there were no houses to be seen. But as soon as it 

 got dark a good many lights appeared on the hills above, 

 and country visitors, mostly carrying pine-torches, streamed 

 to our camp. Singing was kept up round the fires to a late 

 hour by the coolies and their new friends. 



Thursday, 10th. — We start about nine and walk along 

 the river side, scrambling over stones and rocks and with 

 hardly a vestige of a path. After a few miles we arrive at 

 our first rope-bridge. The river, swelled by an affluent as 

 large as itself, is here very deep and rapid, flowing between 

 perpendicular cliffs of considerable height. Two thick ropes 

 of twisted birch- twigs fastened on either side to posts on the 



